How Much Does a Ticket to the 2026 Met Gala Cost?

The 2026 Met Gala has already come and gone, but the conversation around it tends to linger—especially when it comes to the price of entry. Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute remains one of fashion’s most tightly controlled guest lists, with access shaped as much by influence as by money.

According to reports, the event is open to a small number of invited guests around 450, making it as exclusive as it is expensive.

By 2026, the Met Gala’s pricing had reached its highest recorded level yet. Individual tickets were reported at around $100,000 (approx. P6.1 million), while full tables started at roughly $350,000 (approx. P21.5 million), according to BBC.

Elle Australia notes how sharply this has climbed over time. In the early years of the gala, tickets were around the $1,000 mark, long before the event became the high-wattage fashion fixture it is today. The shift accelerated after Anna Wintour took over in 1995, transforming it into a celebrity-heavy fundraiser. By 2018, The New York Times reported tickets at around $30,000, and in 2023, they had already reached $50,000. The 2026 figures mark another jump in that steady climb.

Despite the headline prices, most attendees don’t personally pay for their seats. Fashion houses, brands, and sponsors typically cover the cost, especially when they’re dressing a celebrity in custom looks for the night. These arrangements function as a form of visibility for labels—an exchange where a table purchase doubles as a global marketing moment.

All guest lists still pass through Anna Wintour’s approval, a detail that keeps even paid access filtered through editorial control.

This year’s edition also marked a financial milestone for the Costume Institute. According to WWD, the 2026 Met Gala raised a record $42 million (approx. P2.5 billion), surpassing 2025’s $31 million, which had previously been the institution’s strongest fundraising total.

The theme for the year, Costume Art, anchored the accompanying exhibition featuring around 400 pieces, while the dress code, Fashion Is Art, invited interpretations that framed clothing as an embodied form of creative expression.

The evening was co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos serving as lead sponsors and honorary