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The Met Gala is gearing up for a major moment in 2026 with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams set to join Anna Wintour as co-chairs for one of fashion's biggest nights. Vogue confirmed on Dec. 10 that the trio across music, film and sport will help lead the event, which carries a "Costume Art" theme.
 
The announcement marks Beyoncé's long-awaited return to the Met steps. The singer hasn't attended since 2016 when she appeared at the Manus x Machina gala in Givenchy Haute Couture. Vogue highlighted that the 2026 event will be her first Met Gala appearance in a decade after attending seven times since her debut in 2008. Kidman and Williams, who both appeared at this past May's "Superfine" gala, are more frequent attendees, though 2026 will be the first time Kidman walks the carpet since she filed for divorce from Keith Urban.
 
The gala, set for May 4, will coincide with the arrival of The Met's spring exhibition, also titled Costume Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art stated that the exhibition "will examine the centrality of the dressed body, juxtaposing objects from across the Museum's vast collection with historical and contemporary garments from The Costume Institute." It will be the first major show inside the museum's new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries. Costume Art will remain on display from May 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027. Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz will serve as co-chairs of the Host Committee.
 
The Costume Institute exhibition will explore how clothing shapes — and is shaped by — the body. According to museum officials, "these comparisons will highlight the inextricable relationship between clothing and the body" and show how artistic representations evolve across eras. The theme will span categories such as the "Naked Body," the "Classical Body," the "Pregnant Body" and the "Aging Body," reflecting how these forms appear throughout history.
 
The Met also confirmed that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are the primary donors for the 2026 fundraiser, with Saint Laurent and Condé Nast also contributing. Proceeds from the Gala remain the Costume Institute's main source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions and operations.