Met Gala 2026: Karan Johar to mark debut, Deepika Padukone to miss? Check expected guest list

Met Gala 2026: This year's Met Gala is to take place on May 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Bringing the best in fashion, the theme of the year is "Costume Art," with the dress code "Fashion Is Art." Several celebrities from across the globe will be putting their fashion foot forward at the red carpet event. Wondering who's who will be attending? Here's what we know.

Confirmed celebs at Met Gala 2026

Met Gala 2026 will see Anna Wintour as co-chair, continuing her decades-long presence at the event. Joining her will be music sensation Beyoncé, Hollywood star Nicole Kidman, and tennis legend Venus Williams.

On the other hand, Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, will be seen as the honorary co-chairs for the night.

According to a Style Caster report, fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello, the creative force behind giant Saint Laurent, will co-chair the 2026 Met Gala host committee, joined by actor Zoë Kravitz, who returns to the event after a long gap.

This year's hosting committee also includes two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett and Espresso singer Sabrina Carpenter, alongside Teyana Taylor, who is flying high from the success of One Battle After Another. K-pop star Lisa of BLACKPINK also hit headlines as the first K-pop artist to join the host committee of the Met Gala.

The event is also said to feature artists like Doja Cat and Sam Smith, along with actor-writer Lena Dunham. Among others are A’ja Wilson and Elizabeth Debicki, who join the lineup with Chase Sui Wonders, Gwendoline Christie, and model Alex Consani.

Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone and more to join Met Gala?

Meanwhile, reports also indicate that Karan Johar will be making his Met Gala debut this year.

Manish Malhotra confirmed on CBS’s Saturday Morning and said, “This time I’m gonna be designing for a very big director who’s known for his fashion and movies, Karan Johar." “There’s gonna be a lot more coming up on the red carpet… let’s wait and watch," he added.

On the other hand, NDTV reported that Deepika Padukone, who was scheduled to attend, will give the event a miss. Mom-to-be Padukone is reportedly on a vacation with husband, Ranveer Singh.

Apart from Johar and Padukone, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, Isha Ambani, and Natasha Poonawalla are also reported to attend the event.

How to watch Met Gala

Met Gala 2026 can be watched by viewers from India on Vogue's YouTube channel. The red carpet event kicks off around 6:00 pm EDT, which is 3:30 am IST on May 5.

The Met Gala is held annually on the first Monday in May. It is regarded as the most coveted and exclusive eventin the world. For one spectacular night, a select group of global elite, including Hollywood royalty, influential politicians, chart-topping artists, and cultural power players, ascends the museum steps from different parts of the world. The event is known as a dramatic spectacle where guests stun in their most ambitious, never-seen-before avatars in interpretations of the year's theme, as per ANI and Deadline.

The show is organised thematically around various body types, highlighting the profound, two-way bond between an ensemble and the body. The goal is to reveal how artistic representations of the body are shaped by garments, and vice versa,