The biggest night of fashion and art, the Met Gala 2026, is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to see what the stars have in their closets for tonight. The dress code, ‘Fashion is Art,’ will attract many A-listers for a glamorous fundraiser benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and is handled by Anna Wintour. But as fancy as it might look, it has some weird rules that one MUST follow. Read to know here!
Met Gala Rules
The Met Gala is always scheduled to take place on the first Monday in May, and is an invite-only red carpet event. For 2026, the Costume Institute will celebrate ‘Costume Art’, and guests are encouraged to push fashion to its most avant-garde limits, but with some rules, of course.
1. It’s An Invite-Only
The Met Gala is very strict with its guest list and is personally approved by Vogue’s ex editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. It’s also important to note that if one appears at the event one year, their attendance next year is not a guarantee. It’s the designers and not the celebrities who pay for the table, which costs up to $350,000.
2. The No-Phone Policy
You cannot bring phones inside the venue, and this rule is to encourage genuine conversations among the guests. Former Met Gala planner Sylvana Durrett explained in the documentary The First Monday in May that the staff gently reminds anyone who forgets. But it was Kylie Jenner’s 2017 bathroom selfie with many A-listers that broke the rule.
3. The Food Menu
The food menu is also decided by Anna, who is very particular about what must be served. Things like parsley are banned because one doesn’t want it stuck in their teeth, while garlic and onions are also off for obvious reasons. Not just this, even bruschetta has been banned.
4. Pre-Approved Outfits Only
One must always be dressed on-theme and should be personally signed off by Wintour before the event. Celebrities spend months and months working with their stylists to get this right.
5. No Sitting With Your Partner
It’s the Met Gala, and you cannot just sit anywhere you desire because the seating is very thoroughly planned. Couples are not allowed to sit next to each other. They usually make the people they think might have a lot in common sit together.
Also Read: Met Gala 2026: From Karan Johar To Isha Ambani, THESE Desi Celebrities To Turn Heads On May 4
6. Don’t Smoke And Don’t Touch The Art
Smoking inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art is banned, and so is touching any art.
7. No smoking, no touching the art — and no publicists
Smoking anywhere inside the museum is a bannable offence, as is touching any of the artwork. Guests also can’t bring their publicists inside, meaning they are left to navigate the evening themselves.
8. An Adults-Only Event
This is a fairly new rule that came in 2018, stating that it’s an adult-only event. Before this, Elle Fanning, 13, Hailey Steinfeld, 14, and Willow and Jaden Smith, at 15 and 17, attended before their age.
Also Read: How ‘Fashion Is Art’ Theme Will Shape The Met Gala 2026 Red Carpet