2026 Met Gala Raises $42 Million

The 2026 Met Gala took place on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos were the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs. Protests occurred against Jeff Bezos’s involvement, and one protester was detained after attempting to enter the event.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators stood outside the Met Gala in 2025. Several tech CEOs attended, some of whom skipped the photo op and slipped inside. Lauren Sánchez Bezos posed for cameras at the event but did not participate in interviews.

Venus Williams sidestepped a question about Jeff Bezos’s participation. Cher said she was “not a fan” of Jeff Bezos’s participation. The gala raised a record-breaking $42 million, putting the Costume Institute on track to become self-sustaining.

Anna Wintour delivered a speech before the event emphasizing that the evening was an opportunity to showcase the work that goes into fashion, including the efforts of hairdressers, drivers, and caterers. She noted that the livestream encourages tourists to visit the Met in person. Anna Wintour wore a feathery custom Chanel confection.

This was Anna Wintour’s first Met Gala since stepping down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue. Lena Dunham attended wearing a custom crimson gown by Valentino designed by Alessandro Michele. It was embroidered with sequins and trimmed with crow’s feathers that encircled the high neckline and ran down the end of the long train.

Lena Dunham wore onyx ear jackets with dangling silver sword drops, had a blood-spatter pattern manicure in red painted by nail artist Sonya Meesh, bleached eyebrows, and Scarlet Valentino Rockstud heels. Her look was styled by Talia Cassel and Michael Handler. She served on the 2026 Met Gala host committee and last attended the event in 2019.

She also told Vogue that Alessandro Michele was attracted to the particular blood spatter on the neck of Holofernes rather than Renaissance garments or swords. Lena Dunham attended the after-party wearing an ivory bustier dress with a flouncy gathered skirt, lace-up boots and a beaded pendant necklace.