Met Gala 2026: Theme, who’s attending, when and where to watch, and why it’s facing boycott calls

Who all are attending?

Around 450 guests are expected to attend the Met Gala. The co-chairs comprise Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, singer Beyonce, actor Nicole Kidman, and tennis player Venus Williams. The hosting committee consists of actors Angela Bassett, Elizabeth Debicki, Rebecca Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Zoe Kravitz; filmmaker Lena Dunham, and singers Doja Cat and Sabrina Carpenter,

Some rumoured names include actors Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, who have just co-starred in the second instalment of their fashion-fronted franchise, David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada, which released in cinemas this past Friday. However, Meryl Streep, who has earlier declined the opportunity to co-chair the event, will give it a miss.

Other popular guests include actors Elle Fanning, Emma Stone, Jacob Elordi, Julia Garner, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sydney Sweeney, Timothee Chalamet, and Zoe Saldana; models Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, and Naomi Campbell; singers Alicia Keys, Bad Bunny, Billie Eillish, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Ray, Lizzo, Meghan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Nick Jonas, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, and Rita Ora; F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, and tennis legend Serena Williams.

Who all are giving it a miss?

Besides Meryl Streep, other prominent A-list actors giving Met Gala 2026 a miss include Zendaya. She hasn’t confirmed the reason for her absence, although earlier during the promotions of her latest Hollywood release The Drama, she revealed that she’d keep her public life at a minimum given the risk of overexposure as three more tentpole movies featuring her are releasing this year. These include Spider-Man: Brand New Day opposite fiancé Tom Holland, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three.

Zendaya at Met Gala 2025.

The India representation

While no A-list actors have confirmed their presence at Met Gala this year, the biggest export of India at the event this year may turn out to be filmmaker Karan Johar. Known for his command over fashion and style, Johar will make his Met Gala debut on Tuesday (IST), with his wardrobe being designed by longtime collaborator Manish Malhotra. There’s no clarity yet whether Malhotra will also walk the red carpet, like he did last year, but he’s expected to design the outfits for Hollywood celebrities as well.

Priyanka Chopra, who’s also a Met Gala regular, will give this edition a miss. She’s busy promoting her new show, Russo Brothers’ espionage thriller series Citadel season 2, which will drop on Amzon Prime Video on May 6. Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, and Shah Rukh Khan, who have previously attended the Met Gala, are also rumoured to appear on the red carpet, although there’s no confirmation from their end yet.

Boycott calls

This year’s Met Gala has also made headlines for the wrong reasons, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s involvement, in particular, drawing criticism. The organisers recently issued a statement thanking the billionaire and his wife for their financial support, noting that Amazon is also a sponsor. An excerpt read, “The exhibition and benefit are made possible by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.”

Their involvement has sparked backlash online, with critics arguing the couple has “bought their way into culture.” Amazon, meanwhile, has faced years of scrutiny over alleged unsafe warehouse conditions and its stance against labour unions.

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When and where to watch

While the Met Gala will stream live in the US on platforms Peacock and Hulu among others, Indian viewers can catch the action on Vogue’s official YouTube channel. It’ll go live on Monday, May 4, at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT. Indian viewers can tune in at 3:30 am IST on Tuesday, May 5.