Intro for December 10, 2025

Dear Gossips, 

The theme of the 2026 Met Gala was announced a few weeks ago: “Costume Art” will “explore the relationship between clothing and the body beneath” and while, obviously, the Met Gala is a big f-cking deal every year, this coming event is even more significant because the exhibit will be housed in the Condé Nast Galleries, the Costume Institute’s new space funded by so many years of the Met Gala. It is a fashion show and a fundraiser. 

Today the co-chairs of the Met Gala were announced. I found out about it from Cody who messaged me first thing this morning in all-caps, and Cody is not an all-caps person. But this warranted all the caps: THIS IS EVERYTHING TO ME!!! 

Because the co-chairs will be Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. Plus, of course, Anna Wintour. 

Beyoncé is definitely the biggest surprise here. Because she hasn’t been to the Met Gala since 2016, which means by the time the first Monday in May rolls around, it’ll be exactly a decade. And here’s the thing – it’s not like Beyoncé needs the Met Gala or that she needs to do any favours for Anna Wintour. It’s a huge get for Anna that Beyoncé has agreed to not only make an appearance but to co-chair the whole production. This probably also means that Beyoncé – and Nicole and Venus – will likely cover American Vogue for the May 2026 issue as is tradition. 

The question isn’t why the Met Gala wants Beyoncé, it’s why Beyoncé would say yes. What does she get out of it? 

Well… 

If she’s coming back outside, does that mean… 

Act III is coming? 

The timing works. Act I, Renaissance, was 2022. Act II, Cowboy Carter, was 2024. And we already know that the framework of all three acts was already in place when Renaissance was announced. Beyoncé is always fine-tuning, editing, and perfecting, but the work is typically planned out far in advance so it’s just a matter of when she decides to show it to us. And if we’re going by the two years in between releases, then this does suggest that Act II is imminent. We might know soon whether or not all the speculation about her reclaiming genres of music, with rock’n’roll being the final phase, turns out to be accurate. 

And, because Beyoncé is always so intentional with her imagery, it’ll be so interesting to see how her Met Gala presence fits into whatever it is she’s trying to say about music and its foundation – or, rather, what she will be teaching us about the artform and its lineage. 

Holy sh-t. Beyoncé and BTS in 2026? Are we ready?!

Yours in gossip, 

Lainey