Was that the worst MET Gala ever?

Was that the worst MET Gala ever?

From It's Been a Minute by NPR

May 5, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the perceived decline of the MET Gala 2026, highlighting key fashion moments and the impact of sponsorship by tech billionaires.

The MET Gala 2026 was eclipsed by its own sponsors, making the event feel out of touch and out of fashion. Beyoncé made her first MET Gala appearance in ten years. Rihanna showed up (very late). And there were many incredible fashion moments: from Emma Chamberlain to Nicole Kidman to Lena Dunham. But the whole affair was overshadowed by the sponsorship of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Plus, other tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, made their MET Gala debuts. All calling into question...what is this event (and art) really for? To get into it, NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith. Together they rate the best and worst of fashion's biggest night and explain why the MET Gala feels like it's in decline. Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Anamaria Sayre

Guests: Marjon Carlos, Shelton Boyd-Griffith

Topics covered

  • MET Gala
  • fashion
  • celebrity culture
  • sponsorship
  • art

Keywords

  • MET Gala
  • fashion moments
  • Beyoncé
  • Rihanna
  • sponsorship
  • celebrity
  • art

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR Music

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