Met Gala 2026: Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Rihanna to attend; theme, guestlist, red carpet and more details

Fashion's biggest night, the Met Gala is almost here!As all eyes turn to the iconic staircase here's all you need to know about the star-studded guest list, high-profile pre-parties, the theme, hosts and more.Ahead of the gala, held on the first Monday of May in support of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jeff Bezos and wife, Lauren Sanchez hosted a pre-Met Gala party at their New York City residence on Saturday, May 2. Among those in attendance were Kris Jenner, Sam Smith, Nicole Kidman, Gayle King and Nicky Hilton. The evening also saw several celebrity couples step out, including Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, Kendall Jenner, and Venus Williams with Andrea Preti.Singer Teyana Taylor also kicked off celebrations early by hosting a glamorous pre-Met Gala party in New York City, where bold looks and burlesque-inspired themes dominated. Guests included Sarah Paulson, Irina Shayk, Rauw Alejandro, Romeo Beckham, Hunter Schafer, Odessa A’zion and Jennie.Filmmaker Karan Johar is reportedly set to make his Met Gala debut this year. Known for his bold and experimental fashion choices, his appearance, said to be in a Manish Malhotra ensemble, is expected to draw attention on the red carpet.A host of global stars confirmed to be walking the red carpet at the 2026 gala, include Kylie Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Heidi Klum, Doja Cat, Zoe Kravitz, Anne Hathaway, Georgina Rodríguez, Jisoo, Laura Harrier, Ashley Graham, Janelle Monae, Law Roach, Alex Consani, Karina, Rosé, Simone Ashley, Ningning, Hailey Bieber, Anok Yai, Cara Delevingne and Emma Chamberlain, among others.On November 17, 2025, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the Costume Institute’s spring 2026 exhibition, "Costume Art." The showcase will explore representations of the dressed body across the museum’s curatorial departments, pairing garments with art objects spanning nearly 5,000 years, reports Vogue.The exhibition will be organised into a "series of thematic body types," ranging from the "Naked Body" and the "Classical Body" to less commonly explored themes such as the "Pregnant Body" and the “Aging Body".The 2026 Met Gala will be co-chaired by Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour.The 2026 Met Gala livestream will be hosted exclusively by Vogue and streamed across its digital platforms, including YouTube. In India, red carpet arrivals will be broadcast live from 3:30 AM IST on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.