(L-R) Australian-US actress Nicole Kidman, US media personality Lauren Sanchez Bezos and British-US fashion editor Anna Wintour arrive for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, on May 4, 2026. ANGELA WEISS / AFP
The brightest stars in Hollywood, music, sports and style hit the red carpet Monday, May 4, for the Met Gala, the extravagant Manhattan charity ball that this year spotlights the intersection between fashion and art. The A-listers invited to New York's biggest social event of the year have been asked to dress for the theme "Fashion is Art," which dovetails with the exhibit "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.
This year's function has drawn controversy after Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos were announced as the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the gala, with some activists upset about the billionaire couple's involvement. But for the fashionistas, the Met Gala – traditionally held on the first Monday in May – is simply one of the world's top red carpets with blinding star power.
Tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, who are co-chairing the event, were among the first to arrive. Kidman stunned in a shimmering red long-sleeved Chanel column dress with wide feather cuffs, while Williams glistened in a black crystal Swarovski gown with an elaborate neck plate. The 45-year-old Williams told Vogue the look was inspired by a painting of her in the National Portrait Gallery.
