Recap of 2026 Met Gala

NEW YORK (CNN, NBC/KYMA) - The Met Gala made headlines, raising a record $42 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

Held each year on the first Monday in May, the star-studded event also serves as a major fundraiser and one of fashion's biggest nights.

This year's theme was "Costume Art," and it set the stage for some bold, creative looks on the Red Carpet.

Repeat standouts, including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, are known for showcasing some of the event's most memorable looks.

This year's gala was co-chaired by Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour.

However, the Met Gala was not without controversy.

As celebrities arrived at the museum, a protester briefly disrupted the scene, making it past barricades and toward photographers before being stopped by police.

Critics have targeted Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over concerns about billionaire influence, wealth inequality and corporate power shaping major cultural institutions.

His role as honorary chair and sponsor of the Costume Institute exhibit has fueled that criticism, with some questioning the intersection of money and influence at one of fashion's biggest nights.

Bezos did not appear on the red carpet while his wife, Lauren Sanchez, attended the event on her own.