‘Costume Art’: The Met Museum unveils 2026 gala exhibit theme

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced on Monday its annual Costume Institute exhibition theme for spring 2026.

Dubbed “Costume Art”, the exhibition will focus on Western art from prehistory to the present, and will explore artistic representations of the dressed body, pairing fashions and artworks from the New York-based museum’s collection.

The theme will also “highlight the inherent relationship between clothing and the body,” according to a statement from the museum.

The exhibition, opening its doors to the public May 10, will be the first to take place in the museum’s nearly 12,000-square-foot suite of galleries adjacent to the Great Hall, marking “a new chapter for the museum,” it added.

As always, the celebrity-packed Met Gala will celebrate the opening of “Costume Art” on May 4, 2026, taking on the same theme and dress code.

The Met Gala 2026 will be the first to take place since Anna Wintour stepped down as American Vogue’s editor-in-chief earlier this year. However, the fashion veteran remains the magazine’s global editorial director and parent company Conde Nast’s chief content officer, and will continue to oversee Met Gala proceedings.