The Met Gala: Everything you need to know about annual fashion event held on the first Monday of May

For fashion lovers and runway enthusiasts, the first Monday of May marks an opulent and exclusive annual tradition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The Met Gala attracts hundreds of stars and personalities, each gracing the red carpet with their personal interpretations of a theme that changes each year.

This allows viewers to feast on a full-scale fashion extravaganza before guests head behind closed doors, where the rest of the event remains private and not publicly broadcast.

In case you're wondering about Met Gala, here’s everything you need to know about the iconic first Monday of May affair.

It started in 1948

The first Met Gala took place in December 1948 as a midnight supper organized by late fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert. In case you didn't know, Lambert was also a key personality in launching New York Fashion Week.

According to Vogue, the inaugural fundraising event was neither held on the first Monday of May nor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Once dubbed “The Party of the Year,” the annual event in its early years was held in venues such as Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room and the Waldorf Astoria.

It wasn’t until 1958 that the Met Gala was hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It was only in the early 2000s, that the first Monday of May was established as its official annual date, eventually becoming a longstanding tradition.

Fashion for a cause

Behind the glitz and glamour of what is now known as the “Oscars of the fashion world,” the Met Gala is, first and foremost, a fundraising event.

Its main objective is to support the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Back in the day, tickets to the benefit cost $50 (or about P3,073.73) according to Time Magazine. ​​​

In recent years, individual tickets range from around $75,000 to $100,000 ( or about P4,610,587.50 to P6,152,500), according to Vogue.

In 2025, the Met Gala raised a record-breaking $31 million ( or about P1,905,601,000), the highest amount in the event’s history, according to The New York Times.

The Anna Wintour era

For decades, the Met Gala catered primarily to New York high society until Anna Wintour, former Vogue US editor-in-chief and current global chief content officer, took over as lead chairperson in 1995.

Under Wintour’s leadership, the Met Gala transformed from a traditional gala fundraiser into one of the most highly anticipated fashion events in the world, attracting stars from film, fashion, sports, business, and music.

To this day, the high priestess of US fashion personally curates the guest list, ensuring that only the most influential and relevant figures attend the exclusive gathering.

How is the Met Gala theme picked?

Each year, the Met Gala adopts a specific theme based on the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition. Guests are expected to interpret the concept through haute couture.

For 2026, the theme is “Fashion is Art,” inviting attendees to explore fashion as an embodied art form and express their personal relationship with it.

The gala will celebrate "Costume Art," the spring exhibition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which will open on May 10.

What to expect at the Met Gala 2026?

One of the most anticipated moments this year is Beyoncé’s return after a decade and what look she will serve on the red carpet. She previously served as an honorary co-chair in 2013.

Aside from Beyoncé, joining this year’s lineup of co-chairs are tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman.

The Met has also announced a host committee led by Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, retired ballet star Misty Copeland, and WNBA champion A’ja Wilson.

Other expected – but unconfirmed – guests include “Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, “Love Story” leads Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly, as well as regular Met Gala standouts such as Zendaya, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga.

The Met Gala 2026 red carpet will be livestreamed across various platforms, including Hulu and Vogue’s social media channels. It is scheduled for May 5, starting at 5:30 a.m. Philippine time. — LA, GMA News