Met Gala 2026: Costume Institute's theme revealed
The organizing committee of the Met Gala and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has announced the theme of the 2026 annual exhibition and charity gala. Next year, the event will highlight the project "The art of the body in costume," dedicated to exploring the role of the "dressed body" and how fashion and human corporeality have influenced each other over the centuries, according to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
What will be at the exhibition
The exhibition will bring together around 200 garments and accessories along with more than 200 works of art, ranging from prehistoric artifacts to contemporary fashion pieces.
All of this is intended to demonstrate the evolution of body ideals and how they have been reflected in costume.
Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, explained the concept in more detail.
"Focusing primarily on Western art from prehistory to the present, the show will explore artistic representations of the dressed body, pairing fashions and artworks from the Museum's vast collection to highlight the inherent relationship between clothing and the body," Bolton said in the museum's release.
The theme of the upcoming Met Gala 2026 exhibition has been announced (photo: metmuseum.org)
One of the main highlights will be a parallel between classical art and modern design: Albrecht Dürer's 1504 engraving of Adam and Eve will be displayed alongside Walter Van Beirendonck's 2009 spandex bodysuits inspired by the biblical pair.
Which 'bodies' will be shown
The works will be grouped into thematic categories that illustrate the consistency and recurrence of body canons in fashion. Among them:
- The naked body
- The classical body
- The pregnant body
- The mortal body
Vogue has already announced some of the pieces, including Georgina Godley's rounded dress, "Pregnancy," and the sculptural Comme des Garçons look from 2017 featuring exaggerated forms.
The exhibition will open on May 10, 2026, and run through January 10, 2027, in the new 12,000-square-foot Condé M.Nast galleries.
When Met Gala 2026 will take place
The charity gala will be held on May 4, 2026, as always, to raise funds for the Costume Institute.
This time, the main sponsors of the event are Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, who skipped the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" gala due to preparations for their wedding in Venice.
Last year's Met Gala, themed "Superfine," became the museum's first exhibition fully dedicated to African American style and the first to focus on menswear since 2003.
Hailey Bieber (photo: Getty Images)
The event, co-chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, raised a record $31 million.
The names of the new Met Gala 2026 co-chairs will be announced at a later date.
You may be interested in:
