After a landmark 2025, where Shah Rukh Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani made headline-grabbing debuts, India is gearing up for what could be an even bigger presence at the Met Gala 2026.
The annual Costume Institute Benefit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art takes place on Monday, May 4, and the buzz around Indian representation is already at a fever pitch.
With Karan Johar’s debut confirmed, Deepika Padukone’s possible baby bump moment in the wings, and a slew of returning regulars, this year promises to be a defining chapter in Bollywood’s growing relationship with fashion’s most exclusive night.
The theme: fashion as a canvas
This year’s Met Gala is built around the theme “Costume Art,” with the accompanying dress code “Fashion Is Art.” According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the spring exhibition by the same name will examine the “dressed body” as a constant across more than 5,000 years of global art.
Guests have been invited to “express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form,” a brief that is broad enough to inspire theatrical couture moments and precise enough to demand real creative intent.
The gala is co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent, Venus Williams, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos serving as honorary chairs as well as being the lead financial sponsors for the event.
For Indian designers and stars who have long treated clothing as storytelling – whether through hand-embroidery, archival textiles or sculptural silhouettes – the theme could not feel more tailored to their sensibility.
KJO’s debut and other confirmed and rumoured Indian names
The most-anticipated Indian moment of this year’s gala is Karan Johar’s debut. After years of following the event closely from the sidelines – cheering on Indian attendees on social media and offering his trademark commentary – the filmmaker is finally set to walk the steps himself.
Designer Manish Malhotra confirmed the appearance on CBS Saturday Morning, saying he would be dressing “a very big director who’s known for his fashion and movies, Karan Johar,” and teasing that “there’s gonna be a lot more coming up on the red carpet.”
Per Filmfare, Johar is expected to attend alongside Natasha Poonawalla and Manish Malhotra himself. A custom Manish Malhotra look, expected to interpret “Fashion Is Art” through the lens of Indian couture craftsmanship, is the likely outfit.
Deepika Padukone is also widely expected to return, this time with husband Ranveer Singh – and potentially with a visible baby bump, as she is currently expecting her second child.
According to reports, the couple’s recent Mumbai airport sighting fuelled speculation about the New York trip. If confirmed, it would mark Deepika’s fourth Met Gala appearance, following her stints in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the most consistent Indian face at the event, is also expected to return, per Outlook India. Alia Bhatt – who has attended two consecutive years – Isha Ambani, and Natasha Poonawalla are among other names circulating in the rumour mill. As is customary, the official guest list will only be known when stars begin arriving on the red carpet.
India’s rising Met Gala legacy
It was only 2025 that India truly arrived at the Met Gala in the most spectacular fashion. Shah Rukh Khan made history as the first male Bollywood actor to attend, arriving in an all-black Sabyasachi ensemble – a floor-length elongated coat, jewellery including a bejewelled “K” pendant, and a walking cane.
Diljit Dosanjh honoured his Punjabi roots in an all-white sherwani and cape by Prabal Gurung, complete with a turban and chunky jewellery. Kiara Advani made her debut in a custom Gaurav Gupta black gown with a sculptural gold breastplate representing mother and child, a tribute to her pregnancy.
According to The National, the three together marked what many called the biggest South Asian presence in the gala’s history.
Before the 2025 surge, it was Priyanka Chopra who had been India’s most visible ambassador at the event since her debut in 2017. She appeared in a sweeping Ralph Lauren trench coat gown in 2017, returned in 2018 and 2019 in Ralph Lauren and Christian Dior respectively, and has continued to show up in the years since.
Natasha Poonawalla and Isha Ambani have also built a consistent track record – with the latter attending five editions and frequently choosing Indian designers, including Prabal Gurung and Anamika Khanna.
In 2025, per The Hollywood Reporter India, Poonawalla wore a custom Manish Malhotra look that incorporated vintage Parsi Gara saris – a piece reportedly over a century old – underscoring how India’s Met Gala presence has evolved from glamorous attendance into meaningful cultural storytelling.
When and where to watch
The Met Gala 2026 red carpet coverage begins at 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT) on Monday, May 4. For viewers in India, that translates to an early morning watch at 3:30 AM IST on Tuesday, May 5.
The official livestream will be available on Vogue’s YouTube channel and across its digital platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. E! will also broadcast live coverage starting at 6 PM ET, streaming on Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV.
Red carpet hosts will include Ashley Graham, La La Anthony and Cara Delevingne, with Emma Chamberlain returning as red carpet correspondent, according to Timeout.