Fashion’s most prestigious night returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this Monday, as a parade of A-list stars descended upon New York City for the 2026 Met Gala.
Nicole Kidman, 58, commanded the red carpet in a breathtaking, floor-sweeping Chanel gown as she arrived to the glitzy event. Kidman’s liquid-sequin dress featured feathers at the waist and on her sleeves.
The Babygirl actress, who is one of the co-chairs this year, was joined by daughter Sunday Rose, 17, whom she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos’ wife Lauren Sanchez, 56, thrilled in a very low-cut navy look.
This year’s gala has been marred with controversy as Hollywood is furious that it’s being sponsored by Amazon billionaire Bezos, 62, and his wife Sanchez, who gave a rumored $10 million to the Costume Institute in exchange for being named honorary co-chairs.
Supermodels Cara Delevingne, 33 and Ashley Graham, 38, led the early arrivals. Vogue icon Delevingne, 33, flashed her sideboob in a racy svelte black halterneck dress by Ralph Lauren as she wowed on the iconic carpet.
The theme of this year’s event – widely considered the Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets – is ‘Costume Art’, while the dress code is ‘Fashion Is Art.’
Nicole Kidman, 58, commanded the red carpet in a breathtaking, floor-sweeping Chanel gown
Jeff Bezos’ wife Lauren Sanchez thrilled in a very low-cut navy gown
Cara Delevingne and Ashley Graham represented the supermodels on the carpet
Graham wore a sensational Di Petsa gown ahead of her co-hosting duties for the Met’s official livestream. The gown, a highlight from the designer’s fall 2026 range, was meticulously crafted to mimic the texture of serpent scales.
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The dress code calls on the A-list attendees to explore how designers use the human body as a blank canvas.
Leading the charge is a powerhouse trio of co-chairs, with Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams joining forces with Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour to oversee fashion’s biggest night.
It’s the first time tennis superstar Williams has co-chaired the gala. Kidman previously co-chaired the star-studded event in 2003 as well as 2005, and Beyonce was an honorary chair in 2013.
The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, which will be loosely divided into three categories, including the classical and the nude body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.
The exhibit – set to unveil the Met’s sprawling new Conde M. Nast Galleries – has been made possible by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez, who are the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs.
‘The title “Costume Art” refers to the history of the costume institute,’ Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator, said at a press conference.
Kidman had all eyes on her in the ruby red gown
Kidman’s liquid-sequin gown featured feathers at the waist and on her sleeves
Her platinum blonde tresses were styled straight
Kidman was joined by daughter Sunday Rose, 17, whom she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban
Sunday wowed in a delicate lilac look
Sunday wowed in a delicate lilac look
Kidman was seen mingling with Sanchez
This year’s gala has been marred with controversy as Hollywood is furious that it’s being sponsored by Amazon billionaire Bezos, 62, and his wife Sanchez, who gave a rumored $10 million to the Costume Institute in exchange for being named honorary co-chairs
But Sanchez brushed off any drama as she happily posed on the red carpet
The trio also caught up with Anna Wintour
Wintour has reigned supreme as the chairwoman of the Costume Institute benefit for over 30 years; Wintour seen at the 2025 Met Gala
Graham wore a sensational Di Petsa gown ahead of her co-hosting duties for the Met’s official livestream
The gown, a highlight from the designer’s fall 2026 range, was meticulously crafted to mimic the texture of serpent scales
Cara Delevingne flashed her sideboob in a sheer black gown with a train
Bolton, who selects the theme, said fashion has ‘the status of art because of, and not in spite of, its relation to the body.’
French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent is also sponsoring the exhibit.
The 2026 Met Gala will also have a host committee that includes committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, along with members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor and more.
Costume Art will run from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027, following the Met Gala on May 4.
The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum, and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding.
The 2026 Met Gala marks a major moment because it’s the first one since Wintour technically stepped back from one of her famed roles at Vogue.
The theme of this year’s event – widely considered the Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets – is ‘Costume Art’, while the dress code is ‘Fashion Is Art’
In June 2025, Wintour announced she was stepping down as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years.
The global director for Vogue and global chief content officer at Conde Nast hired Chloe Malle as the new head of editorial content at Vogue.
Wintour has famously been incredibly hands-on with the Met Gala over the years, and is credited with making it the splashy A-list affair it has become, beloved by celebrities like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Blake Lively, Zendaya and more.
Last year, many stars did not attend the Met Gala, and some people thought it was to avoid making a faux pas because of the theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which was centered around the political and aesthetic constructs of Black dandyism.
