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The fashion industry’s biggest night — the Met Gala — is back, celebrating all things style and glamour.
The 2026 Met Gala is set to take place Monday, May 4, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, and will be available to stream live on E!. This year’s theme is “Costume Art,” celebrating the merging of mediums of expression by bringing art off the canvas and mirroring it in a fashion-forward perspective.
2026 Met Gala At a Glance:
You won’t want to miss the attendees this year, given that there are a ton of musicians set to grace the red carpet in their best looks. Beyoncé is one of the gala’s co-chairs alongside former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, actress Nicole Kidman and tennis star Venus Williams. Other musicians confirmed to attend include Doja Cat, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Sam Smith, Sabrina Carpenter and Teyana Taylor, among others. Fans of the annual gala have already begun to buzz about rumored attendees, predicting that big names like BTS, Bad Bunny, Addison Rae, Cardi B and Billie Eilish might attend. Only time will tell.
During the livestream, E! will be enlisting the help of some experts, fashion or otherwise, to take to the carpet to capture must-see moments and break down A-list arrivals’ outfits. This panel of people includes Justin Sylvester, Keltie Knight, Zanna Roberts Rassi, Summer House star Ciara Miller, star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Bronwyn Newport, Renee Montgomery, Chris Appleton and designer Christian Siriano.
How to Watch Met Gala 2026 Online for Free
As mentioned, the 2026 Met Gala red carpet will be streaming live on Monday, May 4 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Below, we’ll be showing you how to tune into the red carpet online for free.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV offers the E! network in multiple packages; however, the streamer’s CHOICE package is our top pick because it is the best value at $84.99 a month for the first month, down from $94.99. The package comes with 125+ channels, including E!. DIRECTV offers new customers a 5-day free trial, so you can watch the 2026 Met Gala without spending a dime before committing to anything.
Sling
Sling Blue is another option to watch the red carpet event. The service’s pricing starts at $45.99 a month and includes 40-plus channels, including E!. With your subscription, you’ll have access to the show, along with live sports and news. Unfortunately, Sling Blue does not have a free trial option.
Peacock
You can also watch the 2026 Met Gala via Peacock. The platform offers affordable plans starting at just $10.99 a month, or an annual plan for $109.99 a year (which gets you 12 months of streaming for the price of 10). Your subscription will give you access to E!, along with 50 “always-on” curated channels. There are no free trials for new users.
Hulu + Live TV
You can also watch the 2026 Met Gala via Hulu + Live TV, given that E! is included in the live TV channel lineup. The service also offers a three-day free trial to new users. A subscription to the service (with ads) will cost $89.99 per month, while the plan without ads goes for $99.99 per month. Both subscriptions give you access to watch fashion’s biggest night.
