Workers Host 'Ball Without Billionaires' to Challenge Met Gala's Billionaire Sponsors

The Met Gala, fashion’s most exclusive annual fundraiser, was set to unfold under the glittering lights of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2026. Hours before Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos stepped into their roles as sponsors and honorary chairs, a different kind of fashion event was taking place just miles away in New York’s Meatpacking District.

The Ball Without Billionaires brought together hundreds of workers, organizers, and advocates for a worker-led fashion show designed to contrast the Met Gala’s extravagance. Organized by a coalition including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Strategic Organizing Center, and the Amazon Labor Union, the event featured current and former employees from Amazon, Whole Foods, The Washington Post, Starbucks, and Uber as models. These workers walked the runway dressed by emerging, immigrant, and BIPOC designers such as Cindy Castro, Abacaxi, Atashi, and Ricardo DSean.

The event was co-hosted by actress and comedian Lisa Ann Walter and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.

Labor as Art: A Counter-Narrative to the Met Gala

The theme of the 2026 Met Gala is “Fashion Is Art.” The Ball Without Billionaires offered a counter-theme: “Labor Is Art.” The atmosphere was celebratory, with workers showcasing fabulous outfits and praising each other’s looks.

Before the runway show began, labor union activist April Verrett, president of the SEIU since 2024, took the stage to deliver a powerful message:

“Every year, the Met Gala tells a story about who matters, who gets seen, who gets celebrated. This year, we decided to center us. To make ourselves the heroes of our story, to celebrate ourselves and to live our joy out loud.”

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the event.

Backlash Over Bezos’ Role at the Met Gala

The decision by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos to sponsor and serve as honorary chairs of the Met Gala—alongside co-chairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams—has sparked significant backlash. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced he would skip the event, citing his focus on affordability. Protesters have plastered the city with “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala” posters, many referencing long-standing allegations of labor violations at Amazon’s warehouses.

Workers’ Grievances Take Center Stage

The Ball Without Billionaires united workers with a range of concerns. Among them was Angelita Soriano, a community organizer from Hobart, Indiana, who is fighting to stop the construction of a hyperscale Amazon data center planned near residential homes. The facility, she says, would consist of 26 buildings operating 24/7, raising concerns about water use, noise, and light pollution.

“We’re just asking for them to prove it’s not going to hurt our homes, our environment—with third-party, independent research,” Soriano told Fast Company. “And they’ve refused to do that.”

Soriano traveled to New York to participate in the Ball Without Billionaires because she saw it as a vital form of protest against Amazon’s expansion and its impact on communities.