Friday, September 4, 2026 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art and John Galliano have cancelled the planned exhibition dedicated to the designer, which was scheduled to open alongside the 2027 Met Gala.
The exhibition, titled John Galliano: Horizons, had drawn controversy and backlash because of Galliano's past antisemitic and racist remarks. The decision means the planned exhibition will no longer go ahead.
Galliano, who was convicted by a French court in 2011 following a series of racist and antisemitic remarks, said he remained fully accountable for the pain caused by his words and expressed deep regret, particularly toward Jewish and Asian communities.
Opposition to the exhibition had grown among Jewish leaders, politicians and some museum donors, with concerns also raised about its planned timing around Holocaust Remembrance Day. Galliano said he did not want the debate surrounding him to place the Met in a difficult position or distract from the work of its Costume Institute.
The cancellation leaves the Met with the urgent task of developing a new spring exhibition and determining a replacement theme for the 2027 Met Gala. The museum said further details would be announced later.
The decision also highlights the continuing challenge faced by major cultural institutions when celebrating influential creative figures whose past actions remain a source of serious public concern.
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