Met Gala 2026 “Costume Art” red carpet pictures from New York City

Actress Sarah Pidgeon absolutely catapulted into stardom this year when she starred as fashion icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story.” 

Host committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz arrive at the 2026 Met Gala. Vaccarello is the current creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, and Kravitz looks amazing in one of his designs. 

CBS Mornings Gayle King posed with musician Doja Cat. King told CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman that she is wearing Christian Siriano.

Lauren Sánchez Bezos is one of the event’s honorary chairs alongside her husband, Jeff Bezos. The Amazon founder has remained absent from the red carpet so far this evening. 

Gwendoline Christie took the dress code, “Fashion is Art,” seriously with this look tonight. 

Actress Lena Dunham, known for “Girls,” recently published her memoir, “Famesick.”

Singer, songwriter, and actress Chali xcx, known for her iconic album “Brat,” looks gorgeous on the 2026 Met Gala carpet.

Musician Sam Smith arrived at the 2026 Met Gala wearing a giant feather headpiece.

Tyriq Withers starred in the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel “Reminders of Him.” This is his first Met Gala. 

A senior fashion editor at Cosmopolitan said celebrities’ outfits could vary vastly as they take on their own interpretations of this year’s theme. 

Jessica Neises said some could lean into the “body and fitted silhouettes,” meaning bodycon dresses. Some stars could also tap into the art side.

“Maybe the garment itself is a beautiful piece of art with embroidery or different beading,” she said. 

Neises said she thinks there will be a lot of color and vibrancy on the red carpet.

“Tonight is not about being quiet with the fashion. It’s really about being loud. Hopefully, no plain black suits. We want extravagance,” she said. 

Tennis player Venus Williams is serving as one of the co-chairs of the event. She, like many other attendees tonight, is leaning into statement jewelry. 

Nicole Kidman, one of tonight’s co-chairs of the event, brings along her daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. This is Sunday Rose’s first time attending the Met Gala, while Nicole is a seasoned pro who has attended the event for over 20 years. 

Chloe Malle replaced Wintour as head of editorial content at Vogue in September 2025 at the age of 38.

Anna Wintour, now the chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue, arrives at the Met Gala. Wintour is the deciding force behind who gets to attend the prestigious event.  

Cara Delevingne, one of the red carpet hosts for Vogue, arrives in a custom Ralph Lauren dress. Delevingne has been a frequent face at the Met Gala since her first appearance in 2011. 

Singer Beyoncé, Actress Nicole Kidman and tennis player Venus Williams will co-chair the event alongside Anna Wintour. 

There’s also a host committee chaired by designer Anthony Vaccarello and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz. 

There are several celebrities who are also on the host committee. It includes musicians Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, LISA, Sam Smith and Yseult; dancer Misty Copeland; actors Teyana Taylor, Elizabeth Debicki, Gwendoline Christie and Lena Dunham; WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson; models Alex Consani, Paloma Elsesser and Lauren Wasser; Vogue editor Chloe Malle; and artist Anna Weyant.

Model Ashley Graham and influencer Emma Chamberlain will serve as Vogue’s red-carpet hosts throughout the evening, alongside actor Cara Delevingne and TV personality La La Anthony.

The Met Gala’s dress code is “Fashion is Art,” going hand-in-hand with the “Costume Art” theme.

Organizers say the show will highlight the connection between clothing and the body and the “complex interplay between artistic representations of the body and fashion as an embodied art form.”  

The event is held on the first Monday in May every year at the museum in New York City. 

Arrivals officially start at 5:30 p.m., but many stars are known to show up late.   

Singer Rihanna showed up around 10 p.m. last year, just after rapper and Bronx native Cardi B and actress Halle Berry. The first to arrive last year was singer-songwriter and actress Teyana Taylor a little after 5 p.m. 

Members of the press check in hours before to line up along The Met’s iconic steps and watch the stars arrive.

The annual gala is based on the spring exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.   

“Costume Art” strives to make the connection between bodies and the clothes they wear, according to the exhibit’s curator.   

“Costume Art will present a dynamic and scholarly conversation between garments from The Costume Institute and an array of artworks from across The Met’s collection, elevating universal and timeless themes while bringing forward new ideas and ways of seeing,” said Max Hollein, CEO of The Met.