Met Gala 2026 has already broken major tradition
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
The Met Gala is back for another year of outlandish outfits, Kardashian-spotting and, um, toilet selfies – but this year there’s something slightly different.
For 2026, the theme is ‘Costume Art’, with a corresponding dress code of ‘Fashion is art’, which means we can no doubt expect a creative cacophony of flamboyant and eccentric looks.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos are co-chairs for the event, alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams.
Bezos and Sánchez Bezos also act as lead sponsors, with Elle reporting the couple have contributed a whopping $10 million to the event.
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This is something we’ve never seen before at the Met Gala, as it marks the first time a private individual is acting as lead sponsor, and also the first time someone is serving as co-chair and sponsor at the same time.
Bezos was co-chair back in 2012, but that time it was his company, Amazon, that sponsored.
His involvement this year has proven divisive, with several celebrities rumoured to be boycotting the night over his ties.
Posters and banners have also appeared across New York City in protest of Bezos’ multi-million-dollar sponsorship, saying 'Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE' and 'Boycott the Bezos Met Gala'.
Sánchez Bezos is also co-chair for 2026, with Anna Wintour previously saying that she would be a ‘wonderful asset to the museum and to the event’.
"I’m very grateful for her incredible generosity… we’re thrilled she’s part of the night,” Wintour told CNN in a statement.
While New York’s mayors often attend the Met Gala, Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji have decided to buck the trend by skipping it.
"He’s not coming," a source reportedly told Page Six of the democratic socialist mayor.
"And it would be foolish if he did … can you imagine? It goes against everything he believes in."
Last month, Mamdani confirmed that he and his wife would not be in attendance, framing his absence as a way to keep his focus on 'affordability and making the most expensive city in the United States affordable'.
Tyla has previously reached out to Zohran Mamdani's representatives for further comment.
There are a number of other celebrities reported to be swerving tonight's event, including Zendaya and Lady Gaga, but as the guest list isn't released in advance, we'll just have to wait and see who shows up...
Paps might go wild on the Met Gala red carpet, capturing all the celebs on fashion's biggest night out, but some guests will be pained by the fact that they can't take their own photos, because selfies are strictly banned.
Anna Wintour issued the selfie ban back in 2015 in the hopes of keeping the inner workings of the Met Gala behind lock and key.
However, some rebellious few have flouted the rule over the years, as there's always one who sneaks a phone to the toilet for a cheeky bathroom selfie, which later pops up on social media.
There are certain foods that are banned from the event, and not for any real rhyme or reason other than the way they could pose a red carpet disaster.
Things like chives could be dangerous if they get stuck in anyone's teeth before photos. Onion and garlic are also banned in order to prevent bad breath, and other dishes which could easily spill onto dresses.
Wintour has addressed the rumours that the likes of onion, chives and garlic are banned from the event, telling Today host Jenna Bush Hager in 2024: "Well, those are three things I'm not particularly fond of, and so yes, that's true."
If you're stuck next to your arch-nemesis at the Met Gala, tough. Because you aren't allowed to move seats.
Seating arrangements are strictly maintained, with a lot of 'power-brokering' in the planning beforehand.
"A lot of thought goes into who sits next to who, if they sat together last year, if they've sat next to each other at other events, so much goes into it, it's shocking," Sylvana Ward Durrett, former director of special projects at Vogue, said in the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May.
No smoking is allowed at the glitzy fashion event, a rule which was reportedly recirculated after the likes of Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, and Marc Jacobs were pictured smoking in the bathrooms in 2017.
Met Gala guests the following year were reminded that it's 'illegal to smoke in the museum'.
It should be noted that smoking indoors in New York City has been banned since 2003, and prior invitations to the event have reiterated this.
If you're under 18, you can kiss your chance of getting into the Met Gala goodbye.
This rule was implemented in 2018, with that year's theme being 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination'.
A Met Gala spokesperson later confirmed the age restriction was introduced as 'it's not an appropriate event for people under 18'.