The 2026 Met Gala Theme Is Costume Art

Scheduled for Monday, May 4, 2026, this year’s gala is poised to be a landmark occasion, not least because it coincides with the opening of the Costume Institute’s new permanent galleries.

The Theme Explained: “Costume Art” The exhibition, which opens to the public on May 10, 2026, is titled Costume Art and is designed to be a sweeping, cross departmental examination of the centrality of the dressed body in artistic representation.

It moves beyond a focus on a single designer, era, or cultural movement to explore the “indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear,” a concept that challenges the traditional separation between fashion and fine art.

The scope of the exhibition is unprecedented, featuring a juxtaposition of nearly 200 garments and accessories with an equal number of artworks, including ancient sculptures, paintings, and drawings, drawn from The Met’s vast collection…