After disappearing from the Met Gala steps for a minute, Beyoncé is officially making her grand return. And not just as a guest… as a 2026 Met Gala co-chair. Yes, the queen is back, and she’s walking in with a title!
It’s been years since Beyoncé last hit the iconic carpet. Fans still trade grainy photos from her previous appearances, clinging to the memory of those custom Givenchy and latex looks that shut the whole thing down. So the announcement that she’ll co-chair the 2026 event is basically a cultural reset.
And she won’t be doing it alone. Joining her at the top of fashion’s most chaotic pyramid are Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and of course Met’s resident Anna Wintour. The fundraiser is set for Monday, May 4.
A Powerhouse Host Committee
The Met didn’t stop at stacking the co-chair lineup. Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz will co-chair the Gala Host Committee, bringing their signature edge to an already intimidating roster. And honestly, the names read like someone drafted a fantasy team of pop culture disruptors:
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Doja Cat
• Gwendoline Christie
• Alex Consani
• Misty Copeland
• Elizabeth Debicki
• Lena Dunham
• Paloma Elsesser
• LISA
• Chloe Malle
• Sam Smith
• Teyana Taylor
• Lauren Wasser
• Anna Weyant
• A’ja Wilson
• Yseult
More members will be revealed later, because apparently the Met Gala now drops host names the way rappers tease album features.
New Exhibition Space Arrives Right After the Gala
As if Beyoncé returning wasn’t dramatic enough, The Met is using 2026 to debut something major: Costume Art, the first exhibition in the museum’s brand-new 12,000-square-foot Galleries adjacent to the Great Hall.
Opening May 10, 2026, it will serve as the home for The Costume Institute’s annual spring show. Translation: the Met Gala carpet might snatch wigs, but the exhibition will snatch your soul.
If Beyoncé’s return doesn’t break the internet, nothing will.