The 2026 Met Gala is just around the corner, scheduled, as always, for the first Monday of May. Formerly known as the Costume Institute Gala, it has become one of the most popular see-or-be-seen events of the year. With all of the biggest names in attendance, everyone gets together to "ooh" and "ahh" at the creativity involved in each star's attire. However, the Met Gala hasn't always looked like it does today, and the fashion has been getting bigger and better throughout the years. Quite literally!
The 2025 Met Gala, titled ‘Tailored for You,’ in connection with the Costume Institute’s groundbreaking new exhibition, ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.’ The exhibition spotlighted Black dandyism from the 18th century through the Harlem Renaissance and its influence on modern fashion. For the first time since 2003, the red carpet predominantly showcased menswear.
This year, the Met Gala's theme will be ‘Costume Art,’ exploring fashion as an embodied art form, and the dress code has been announced as ‘Fashion is Art,’ encouraging guests to treat the body as a living canvas.
Beyoncé will be hosting the 2026 Gala along with Nicole Kidman, tennis champ Venus Williams, and the one who runs it all: Anna Wintour.
Guests are expected to arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper West Side of Manhattan from 5:30 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET. It will be streamed live on Vogue.com as well as the fashion magazine's YouTube and TikTok accounts beginning at 6 p.m. Live coverage will also be available on E! from 6 to 9 p.m.
While we count down the minutes, click through this gallery to walk down memory lane and explore the Met Galas of the past.