The 2026 Met Gala opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York tonight, with Beyoncé co-chairing a star-studded red carpet under the theme “Fashion Is Art”, as protests over Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s financial backing of the event draw international attention before a single look has been unveiled.
The annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute, held on the first Monday in May, begins at 18:00 ET (midnight SAST), with Beyoncé joined by Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as co-chairs.
The event’s accompanying exhibition is titled “Costume Art”, and the dress code has been described as among the most open-ended in recent memory, inviting looks that range from sculptural couture to archival fashion house pieces.
Jeff Bezos backing sparks walkouts and organised protests
This year’s edition has drawn unusually sharp criticism before it begins. Jeff Bezos’s sponsorship of the 2026 gala has generated public boycotts and protests outside the museum, as well as a number of high-profile celebrities publicly declining invitations, per multiple US reports.
Critics have pointed to Bezos’s consolidated influence across media and commerce as reason enough to separate his name from what remains, at its core, a charity fundraiser for the museum’s fashion archive.
The Met has not publicly commented on the controversy.
The backlash has not dampened attendance to any measurable degree. A long confirmed guest list will walk tonight’s red carpet, including those who were expected to use the “Fashion Is Art” directive as a platform for ambitious, concept-driven looks.
The dress code’s openness has divided fashion commentators. Some see it as the most fertile creative brief in years. Others have called it deliberately vague in a way that removes meaningful challenge from the exercise.
How South African viewers can watch the red carpet live
Coverage of tonight’s arrivals will stream across Vogue’s official YouTube channel and TikTok account from midnight SAST, with Ashley Graham, La La Anthony and Cara Delevingne hosting.
Emma Chamberlain returns as Vogue’s red carpet correspondent for a third consecutive year. Given the time difference, most South African viewers will be following highlights and best-dressed roundups through Tuesday morning rather than watching the event in real time.
Beyoncé’s presence as co-chair marks her most prominent public appearance in recent months, and will keep global attention fixed on the Met’s steps regardless of the sponsorship dispute surrounding tonight’s event.
Reaction to the looks, and to the controversy, is expected to dominate entertainment coverage through the week.
