The Met Gala raised a record $42 million Monday night for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, the museum announced, marking a significant increase from last year's record of $31 million and underscoring the critical role of private philanthropy in sustaining public cultural institutions. The event took place on May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with co-hosts Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams joining Anna Wintour, who remained the longtime chair of the event.
The dress code was "Fashion is Art," tied to the exhibition "Costume Art" at the Met's Costume Institute. Hundreds of stars attended the gala and offered different interpretations of the dress code, with the museum creating a garden-like setting with romantic hanging florals, barriers of green hedges, pots of lavender and a carpet resembling mossy bricks.
Artistic Expression and Cultural Representation
Beyoncé returned to the event after a decade-long hiatus in a glittering skeleton gown by Olivier Rousteing and brought her daughter Blue Ivy for her Met Gala debut. Venus Williams wore a Swarovski gown inspired by a portrait of her by Robert Pruitt that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, highlighting the importance of diverse representation in American art institutions. Lauren Sánchez Bezos wore a Schiaparelli gown riffing off John Singer Sargent's painting "Portrait of Madame X."
Lena Dunham wore a Valentino dress inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi's "Judith Beheading Holofernes," drawing attention to the work of a pioneering female artist from the Baroque period. Emma Chamberlain wore a hand-painted custom Mugler gown that flowed into deep watery blues. Nicole Kidman and daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban both wore volume and texture, with Chanel and Dior, respectively.
Other looks highlighted anatomy, art history and theatricality. Lisa wore a Robert Wun-designed white veiled gown with extra pairs of arms. Heidi Klum disguised herself as a living statue. Bad Bunny said on the red carpet, "I always try to do something different," and joked that it took "53 years" to create his look.
Craftsmanship and Labor
The coverage also noted looks from Rihanna and A$AP Rocky arriving at the Met Gala, Kylie Jenner in a Schiaparelli illusion dress with 10,000 pearls and 11,000 hours of embroidery work, and Cara Delevingne in a high-neck velvet Ralph Lauren column dress with 10,000 hand-embroidered crystals. The extraordinary labor hours invested in these garments underscore the skilled artisanship that sustains the fashion industry's creative workforce.
Doja Cat wore a draped gown from Saint Laurent and said she was inspired by her own skin tone from head to toe. Other attendees and looks mentioned included Cher, Teyana Taylor, Cardi B, Wisdom Kaye, Tessa Thompson, Lauren Harrier, Sarah Paulson, Tyla, Kim Kardashian, Madonna, Ayo Edebiri, Blake Lively, Odessa A'zion, Jennie, Greta Gerwig, Keke Palmer, Chase Infiniti, Jisoo, Russell Wilson, Ciara, Law Roach, Margot Robbie, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Misty Copeland, Kate Moss, Hudson Williams, Elizabeth Debicki, Karlie Kloss, Adut Akech, Kendall Jenner, Troye Sivan, SZA, Hunter Schafer, Serena Williams, Audrey Nuna, Rami Malek, Sabrina Carpenter, Sombr, Hailey Bieber, Anne Hathaway, Suki Waterhouse, Eileen Gu, Nicholas Hoult, Alex Consani, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Felicity, Heidi Klum, Alysa Liu, Angela Bassett, Janelle Monáe, Ejae, Julianne Moore, Tom Ford, Yseult, Maya Hawke, Naomi Watts, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rosé, Irina Shayk, Katy Perry, Finn Wolfhard, Gigi Hadid, Paul Anthony Kelly, Rauw Alejandro, Olivia Wilde, Laufey, Camila Morrone, Damson Idris, Amanda Seyfried, Connor Storie, Angel Reese, Jordan Roth, Anthony Vaccarello, Zoë Kravitz, Manish Malhotra, Luke Evans, Adrien Brody, Gwendoline Christie, Sam Smith, Gustav Magnar Witzøe, Charlie XCX, Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo, Claire Foy, Sabrina Harrison, Lauren Wasser, Léna Mahfouf, Morgan Spector, Rebecca Hall, Chase Sui Wonders, Chloe Malle, Amy Sherald, Ashley Graham, Joshua Henry, Sinéad Burke, and Anna Wintour.
Public Access and Media Coverage
The Washington Post described the event as Anna Wintour's annual benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit and said luminaries from entertainment, sports and fashion congregated in outré looks, many inspired by works of art. USA Today said the Met Gala livestream was hosted exclusively by Vogue on its website and digital platforms, with Ashley Graham, La La Anthony and Cara Delevingne as hosts beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. E! aired its own red-carpet special from 6 to 9 p.m. ET/3 to 6 p.m. PT, with a separate livestream beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.
USA Today also said Vogue announced designer Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz would co-chair the Met Gala Host Committee for 2026 with members including Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Lisa, Sam Smith and Teyana Taylor.
Why This Matters:
The $42 million raised at this year's Met Gala represents a critical funding source for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, which provides free public access to its permanent collections and helps preserve cultural heritage for future generations. The fundraising model highlights both the potential and limitations of relying on private philanthropy to sustain public cultural institutions, particularly as government arts funding remains constrained. The event's celebration of diverse artistic voices—from Robert Pruitt's portrait of Venus Williams in the National Portrait Gallery to Artemisia Gentileschi's historic work—underscores the ongoing importance of expanding representation in museum collections. The thousands of hours of skilled labor invested in individual garments also reflects the artisan workforce that sustains creative industries, raising questions about fair compensation and working conditions in fashion production. As one of the few major fundraising events that directly benefits a public museum, the gala's success has tangible implications for educational programming and collection accessibility.