Met Gala 2026 Raises Record $42 Million for Costume Institute

The 2026 Met Gala was held on Monday, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, drawing approximately 400 guests to its annual fundraising event for the Costume Institute ^[1][2]. The theme for this year’s gala was ‘Costume Art,’ with a dress code described as ‘Fashion is Art’ ^[1][2].

The event was co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Vogue executive Anna Wintour ^[2][3]. Honorary chairs and lead sponsors included Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos ^[2][3].

Rihanna made a notable appearance in a Maison Margiela creation adorned with over 115,000 crystal beads and antique jewels ^[4]. Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu attended her first Met Gala, wearing a custom Louis Vuitton gown and expressing surprise at her recognition by attendees ^[1].

The gala raised a record $42 million for the Costume Institute, surpassing the previous year’s total of $31 million ^[5]. This funding supports the institute’s spring exhibition, which pairs approximately 200 art objects with 200 garments to explore the intersection of fashion and art ^[1][6].

Individual tickets for the event were priced at $100,000, while tables of 10 started at $350,000 ^[1]. Among the attendees were Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman, as captured in images by Reuters ^[7].

What Is Known

The Met Gala 2026 successfully raised $42 million, with a theme focused on the relationship between fashion and art. High-profile figures such as Beyoncé and Jeff Bezos played significant roles in the event ^[1][2][5].

What Remains Unclear

There were unconfirmed reports of protest actions against Jeff Bezos’s participation, but these claims were not corroborated by multiple sources ^[1].