Met Gala 2026 is almost here, and as always, the biggest question isn’t just what everyone will wear … it’s who will actually show up. Fashion’s most exclusive night typically hosts around 450 guests, and while the full list is tightly under wraps, several major names have already been confirmed, starting with this year’s powerhouse co-chairs.
Leading the night are Anna Wintour, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, a lineup that already guarantees major star power on the carpet. Beyond the co-chairs, the Met Gala’s host committee is stacked with celebrities, designers, and cultural icons, all expected to walk the red carpet.
Notable names include Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Teyana Taylor, Sabrina Carpenter, Zoë Kravitz, Sam Smith, LISA, and Lena Dunham. Also making appearances are high-profile figures like Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, along with artists, models, and creatives across industries.
Rihanna, Zendaya, Kardashians, And More Expected To Attend
While the official guest list remains secret, speculation and past attendance suggest a long list of A-listers will likely hit the carpet. Names fans are already buzzing about include Rihanna, Zendaya, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Timothée Chalamet, Sydney Sweeney, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, and Lady Gaga.
Also likely to appear are Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Rosalía, Nick Jonas, and Priyanka Chopra.
Fans tuning into the livestream can expect coverage from familiar faces like Emma Chamberlain, Cara Delevingne, Ashley Graham, and La La Anthony.
Inside The Met Gala’s Strict Seating Rules
Beyond the fashion and star-studded arrivals, the Met Gala is also known for its highly strategic seating chart, and it’s not as simple as sitting with your friends. Attendees are expected to follow the assigned seating, regardless of relationships, meaning even spouses or close friends can be split up for the evening.
“We really try to think very carefully about who’s sitting next to each other,” Eaddy Kiernan, who worked on the seating chart, said. “Our ideal pairing would maybe be two people who we think will just get on like a house on fire, but who may not even realize that they have a lot in common. So with each person, we really do take time to think, ‘What will they talk about?’”
The goal is to spark unexpected conversations and maybe even a few iconic moments long after the red carpet ends.
Met Gala 2026 Theme ‘Costume Art’ Explores Fashion’s Role Across Art History
Following last year’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the 2026 theme is “Costume Art,” a concept inspired by the role of fashion within art history. According to curator Andrew Bolton, the exhibit will explore “the centrality of the dressed body” across thousands of years of art.
“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” Bolton said. “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.”
The exhibition, which will be on display from May 10, 2026, through January 10, 2027, will also debut a massive new gallery space inside The Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcasing everything from paintings and sculptures to historical and contemporary fashion pieces. Once the exhibit wraps, the mannequins will be preserved within The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection, where they can be used again in future displays.
How To Watch The 2026 Met Gala Red Carpet
If you’re planning to tune in, the Met Gala 2026 red carpet will be livestreamed across Vogue’s digital platforms, including YouTube and TikTok. The stream kicks off at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on Monday, May 4, giving fans a front-row seat to all the arrivals, fashion moments, and surprises.
Hosting this year’s livestream are Ashley Graham, La La Anthony, and Cara Delevingne, while Emma Chamberlain returns as the red carpet correspondent, a role she’s become known for thanks to her candid celebrity interviews and viral moments.
