Met Gala 2026 best dressed: Celebrities wow on NYC red carpet on fashion’s biggest night
Fashion’s most prestigious night returns to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this Monday, as a parade of A-list stars descend on New York City for the 2026 Met Gala.
Nicole Kidman, 58, dominated the red carpet in a breathtaking, floor-sweeping Chanel gown as she arrived at the glitzy event. Kidman’s liquid sequin dress had feathers on the waist and sleeves.
The Babygirl actress, who was among the co-chairs this year, was also joined by her 17-year-old daughter Sunday Rose, whom she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos’s 56-year-old wife, Lauren Sanchez, thrilled with her very low-cut navy blue look.
This year’s gala has been marred by controversy, with Hollywood furious that it was sponsored by Amazon billionaire Bezos, 62, and his wife Sanchez, who reportedly gave $10 million to the Costume Institute in exchange for their appointment as honorary co-chairmen.
Supermodels Cara Delevingne (33) and Ashley Graham (38) were among the early arrivals. While Vogue icon Delevingne, 33, wowed on the iconic carpet, she showed off her side breasts in a revealing, slim, black halter-neck dress by Ralph Lauren.
The theme of this year’s event, considered the Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets, is ‘The Art of Costume’ and the dress code is ‘Fashion is Art’.
Nicole Kidman, 58, dominated the red carpet in a breathtaking, floor-sweeping Chanel gown
Jeff Bezos’ wife Lauren Sanchez excited with her low-cut navy blue dress
Cara Delevingne and Ashley Graham represented supermodels on the carpet
Graham wore a sensational Di Petsa gown ahead of her stint as co-host of the Met’s official livestream. The dress, one of the standout dresses of the designer’s fall 2026 collection, was meticulously designed to mimic the texture of snake scales.
The dress code calls on A-list participants to explore how designers use the human body as a blank canvas.
Leading the charge is a powerful trio of co-chairs, with Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams joining forces with Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour to helm fashion’s biggest night.
Tennis star Williams is co-chairing the gala for the first time. Kidman previously co-chaired the star-studded event in 2003 and 2005, and Beyonce was honorary chairwoman in 2013.
The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary clothing from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, which will be divided into three categories: the classical and naked body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.
The exhibition, which aims to showcase the Met’s expanded new Conde M. Nast Galleries, is made possible by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, who are lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs.
“The title ‘The Art of Costume’ refers to the history of the costume institute,” Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton said at a press conference.
Kidman’s liquid sequin dress had feathers on the waist and sleeves
Her platinum blonde locks were styled straight
Kidman was accompanied by her 17-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose, whom she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban.
Pazar fascinates with its delicate lilac appearance
This year’s gala was marred by controversy as Hollywood was furious that the festival was sponsored by Amazon billionaire Bezos, 62, and his wife Sanchez, who reportedly gave $10 million to the Costume Institute in exchange for being named honorary co-chairman.
But Sanchez brushed off any drama as he happily posed on the red carpet
Cara Delevingne showed off her side boobs in a transparent black dress with a trench coat
Choosing the theme, Bolton said that fashion ‘has the status of art not despite its relationship with the body, but because of it’.
French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent also sponsors the exhibition.
The 2026 Met Gala will also have a host committee, including committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, as well as members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor and more.
The Art of Costume will run from May 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, following the Met Gala on May 4.
The Met Gala is a major moneymaker for the museum and provides the Costume Institute’s main source of funding.
The 2026 Met Gala marks an important moment because this is the first time since Wintour technically stepped back from one of her famous roles in Vogue.
Met Gala 2026 co-chair Nicole Kidman showed off her showgirl charm as she headed to the event on Monday
The chief sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the glittering gala are Amazon founder and technology billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos; The duo seen at the 2024 Met Gala
Anna Wintour has been president of the Costume Institute for more than 30 years; Wintour spotted at the 2025 Met Gala
In June 2025, Wintour announced that she was stepping down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years.
has hired Chloe Malle, Vogue’s global director and Conde Nast’s global chief content officer, as Vogue’s new head of editorial content.
Wintour has been incredibly hands-on at the Met Gala over the years, and is known for making it a flamboyant A-list event loved by celebs like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Blake Lively, Zendaya, and more.
Many stars did not attend the Met Gala last year, and some people thought this was to avoid making a mistake because of the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style theme, which centers around the political and aesthetic constructs of Black dandyism.
