Met Gala planners weigh postponing 2027 ceremony amid Galliano controversy
Met Gala organizers are considering shifting the 2027 event after mounting criticism of the decision to honor designer John Galliano.
The Met’s Costume Institute plans a solo exhibition of John Galliano, positioning him as the third living designer to receive such a showcase after Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. Galliano’s record of antisemitic, racist and anti-Asian statements, including a 2011 French conviction, has sparked strong opposition from Jewish groups, museum donors and city officials. The gala’s slated date of May 3 falls on Yom HaShoah, heightening the controversy.
Council speaker Julie Menin sent a letter to Anna Wintour, curator Andrew Bolton and director Max Hollein labeling the honor a “serious mistake” and proposing alternative, contextual programming. In response, museum trustees are reportedly weighing a one-week postponement of the gala to address the outcry.
Why it matters
The dispute could alter a major cultural event and influence museum funding and public perception.
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