The 2026 Met Gala is almost here, which means in just a few sleeps, we’ll finally get to see how famous people interpret a Fashion Is Arka dress code to varying degrees of success. More so than any other red-carpet event, this is a night that encourages taking creative risks and stepping outside of a fashion comfort zone. Those who play it safe rarely end up on the best-dressed lists, which is exactly what makes the evening so fun for us spectators watching at home.
So, what is this year’s 2026 Met Gala theme? And how can you watch? Keep reading for all the details.
When is the 2026 Met Gala?
Known as the Oscars of fashion, the Met Gala is the annual fundraising event for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Every year the evening takes place on the first Monday in May, which means this year’s Met Gala will happen on Monday, May 4.
What is the Met Gala 2026 theme?
This year’s Met Gala 2026 theme is “Costume Arka,” which is inspired by “the centrality of the dressed body.”
“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” curator Andrew Bolton told Vogue. “It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was, this epiphany: I know that we’ve often been seen as the stepchild, but, in fact, the dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across. Even the nude is never naked. It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.”
For every Met Gala theme, there is a dress code that attendees are expected to adhere to. This year, the “Costume Art” exhibit’s dress code is Fashion Is Arka. Vogue shared a round-up of 56 runway looks sorted by artistic movement that offers a clue into how this dress code might work with the theme.
How can I watch the Met Gala 2026 livestream?
The 2026 Met Gala livestream will be hosted by Vogue and available live across the magazine’s digital platforms as well as on YouTube and TikTok. You can also bookmark the official Vogue livestream page to watch there. The red-carpet livestream will start at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Ashley Graham, La La Anthony, and Cara Delevingne will be hosting the livestream, with Emma Chamberlain acting as Red Carpet Correspondent.
Also of note: Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams are co-chairing this year’s Met Gala. So you definitely won’t want to miss their red-carpet looks.
