Met Gala 2026 highlights: Beyoncé makes her return after 10-year hiatus

At the actual dinner, social media videos showed Sabrina Carpenter performing her hit, “Espresso,” for attendees.

She was also joined by Stevie Nicks for the song “Landslide.”

Many attendees took literal inspiration from notable paintings, re-creating the artwork for the Met Gala. They included:

• Lena Dunham dressed as “the blood spatter" from the 17th century painting "Judith Slaying Holofernes" by artist Artemisia Gentileschi.

Lena Dunham. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

• Angela Basset said her look was inspired by the 1927 painting “Girl in a Pink Dress” by Harlem Renaissance artist Laura Wheeler Waring.
• Lauren Sánchez Bezos' Schiaparelli dress was inspired by John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting "Madame X."
• Madonna's look, a Saint Laurent dress complete with seven ladies in waiting, channeled "The Temptation of St. Anthony. Fragment II" by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. (Madonna is a fan of Carrington; her 1994 music video for "Bedtime Story" took inspiration from another Carrington work).

Madonna. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Museum

• Rachel Zegler channeled the 1883 work "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey" by Paul Delaroche.
• Hunter Schafer wore a custom Prada look that appeared to be inspired by Gustav Klimt’s 1912/1913 painting "Mäda Primavesi."
• Ben Platt's custom Tanner Fletcher look was inspired by Georges Seurat’s 1884 “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

Ben Platt. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

• Artist Amy Sherald took inspiration from herself. She worked with Thom Browne to create a look modeled after her 2013 painting “Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance).”
• Venus Williams also took inspiration from herself, wearing a custom Swarovski look modeled after a portrait of her that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

Venus Williams and Andrea Preti. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

With the 2026 Met Gala carpet now done, here's a look at some of the looks that wowed this year.

Kylie Jenner. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

Kylie Jenner wore custom Schiaparelli. The satin skirt "was embroidered with over 2,000 sating stitch balls, 10,000 natural baroque pearls and more that 7,000 painted pearlescent fish scales," according to People magazine.

Keke Palmer. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Gala

Keke Palmer, who dazzled in a bright red off-the-shoulder gown, also sported a Wempe necklace worth $1 million.

From left, Felicity Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt. Mike Coppola / Getty Images

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" co-stars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci arrived together, alongside Felicity Blunt (who is Emily Blunt's sister and is married to Tucci). All three wore black.

Madonna. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Gala

Also in black? Madonna, whose outfit was topped with a ship headress. Seven attendants carried her train.

Colman Domingo. Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Colman Domingo was all about the colors with his Valentino look, which featured a multicolored checkered top.

Sarah Paulson. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

Ayo Edebiri. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Gala

For years, the Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side has functioned as one of the few unofficial staging grounds for the Met Gala — transforming into a space where celebrities get ready, pose for photos and, hours later, spill back in to celebrate.

The hotel, which has 106 rooms, 46 suites and a penthouse suite, gets booked up months before the Met Gala, according to Heredia. Built in 1926, the Mark has hosted Met Gala guests since 2009.

Its guest list, which this year includes 60 celebrities who attended the Gala, rivals that of the Carlyle Hotel, also nearby.

By 10 p.m., some stars were already spotted back at the Mark. Among them: Paul Anthony Kelly, star of FX and Hulu's "Love Story."

New York police officials said a 37-year-old man who tried to jump the police barricade at the Met Gala this evening is in custody.

Charges are pending, the NYPD said in a statement, saying the "disorderly conduct" occurred around 7 p.m. ET.

NBC News observed security swarming the man and stopping him before he could get through to the event. He was holding a sign, but it's unclear what it said.

Police tackle man that tries to jump Met Gala barricade

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For years, the strict no phones, no photos and no social media policy inside the Met Gala has helped the event maintain its reputation for being an exclusive affair.

Once they are inside the museum, attendees are permitted to explore the exhibition before they sit down for a dinner that often features a surprise performance, according to Vogue.

Non-attendees also sometimes get an inkling of what happens inside thanks to the handful of celebrities who seem to sneak their phones in.

Back in 2017, Kylie Jenner’s epic bathroom selfie with friends racked up millions of likes. Last year, Grammy-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion also drew attention for a video she shared of her reviewing the meal with fellow guests Angel Reese and Doechii.

Video of the performances often also makes its way to social media. Last year, Stevie Wonder and Usher headlined. In 2024, it was Ariana Grande, who shared a clip of the performance to her TikTok page days after the event wrapped.

Jeff Bezos was nowhere to be seen on the red carpet tonight. The billionaire sponsor, who is an honorary co-chair this year alongside his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, didn’t make a public appearance — although Sánchez Bezos did.

The Amazon CEO was the subject of a protest campaign leading up to the gala, organized by an anti-billionaire group called Everyone Hates Elon.

“Tonight’s Met Gala will be brought to you by the taxes Jeff Bezos didn’t pay. By worker exploitation. By contracts with ICE and the IDF,” the group’s organizer told NBC News. “Shame on every A-lister that attends — there can be no red carpet for Trump’s billionaires.”

NBC News has reached out to Amazon for comment.

A fashionably late Rihanna arrived wearing a sculptural gold dress by Maison Margiela.

While Vogue reported the look is custom, it was inspired by a look from Glen Marten's Maison Margiela 2025 fall/winter couture show.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Rihanna also wore custom Margiela in 2018 for the "Heavenly Bodies" theme. That look, by John Galliano, took inspiration from Catholic vestments.

Rihanna's partner, A$AP Rocky, wore custom Chanel by Matthieu Blazy featuring a pink robe coat.

Blackpink’s Lisa teamed up with designer Robert Wun for her custom gown: a sheer bedazzled dress with a headpiece that had two mannequin-like arms connected to her shoulders.

Lisa of Blackpink. Matt Crossick / PA Images via Getty Images

The fake arms allowed a sheer white drape to fold over her head. She even had sequins trickling down from her wrists to her fingertips.

"These are my arms, 3D-printed," she told Vogue during the red carpet livestream.

"Those are your actual arms? Wow," carpet co-host La La said.

It isn’t the first time Lisa has worn a dress by Wun, but tonight was the first time they’d met in person.

Eileen Gu was surrounded by bubbles as she walked the Met Gala carpet.

Eileen Gu. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Gala

The Olympian told reporters that her dress, designed by Iris van Herpen, is made of 15,000 glass bubbles, with technology underneath the dress to emit real bubbles wherever she goes.

“It’s a play on surrealism. It’s a play on movement,” she said. “It’s a play on nature and on fun and whimsy.”

The artist and actor wore custom couture by Christian Siriano, with her look aiming to combine nature and technology.

Janelle Monae bridges the gaps between technology, nature and art. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

“Balance must be restored," she told Variety when she was asked about the message of her outfit, which featured wires and moss.

The dress appeared to feature robotic butterflies on each of Monae's shoulders.

In an interview with Variety on the red carpet, the "One Battle After Another" star said she's hoping to bust a move with Bey.

“Every single time I run into her, I make her dance," said Taylor, who wore a silver fringe dress and headpiece.

Taylor was part of the 2026 Met Gala host committee.

Cardi B made her way to the Met Gala steps a little later in the evening tonight, wearing a black lace dress with light pastel colors visible beneath certain areas.

The look was completed with pillow-like, puffy material around her feet and neck. This year marks her sixth Met Gala appearance.

“You wanna know a secret?" she told Variety on the carpet. "I’m actually sick and I have a fever.”

The basketball star arrived at the gala in a blush pink dress, with one shoulder exposed and the other covered by a sleeve, complete with a train.

Angel Reese. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

The 23-year-old WNBA star paired the look with an updo.

"I'm really confident within myself. Nobody can tell me that I'm not that girl," she told Essence on the carpet. "I wake up every morning because I'm blessed, I'm grateful ... being in these spaces and opening these doors for young women. Hopefully they know they have a space in this industry."

While most of the stars have already left the carpet, Rihanna has yet to make her appearance.

She was spotted on her way to the Met Gala, fashionably late.

Last year, she debuted a baby bump on the carpet.

On the carpet, Johnson told Vogue that he and wife Lauren Hashian's looks took 3,000 hours to make.

"Fifty people worked on his, and 30 for mine," Hashian said.

Johnson wore a black mohair tailcoat and a bow tie and paired it with a matching pleated skirt, a look he said was in part inspired by Polynesian culture.

Dwayne Johnson. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

NBC News' Chloe Melas breaks down some of the night's best looks so far.

Stars dazzle at ‘Costume Art’ Met Gala

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Beyoncé made a triumphant return to the Met Gala after a decadelong hiatus, hitting the carpet with her husband, Jay Z, and their daughter Blue Ivy.

Blue Ivy Carter, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Gala

"Ten years. It feels surreal because my daughter is here," she told Vogue during the livestream. "She looks so beautiful. This is incredible to be able to share it with her."

The proud mother said the highlight of the night is already "experiencing this through the eyes of Blue and being able to relax."

She gave a shoutout to Olivier Rousteing, who designed her gown and whom she described as someone "so loyal" to her.

"I've done so many iconic incredible looks with him," she said, adding that she's there to represent him.

She also highlighted the night's commitment to representing "all the juicy, curvy, thin, tall, celebrating whatever God gave you."

Margot Robbie, who hasn’t attended the Met Gala since 2023, made her return to the carpet in a strapless gold dress with a flowerlike fringe train.

According to Vogue, the Chanel dress took 761 hours to make.

Margot Robbie. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

Queen Bey arrived in style tonight, wearing a bejeweled skeleton Olivier Rousteing gown.

Beyoncé returns to Met Gala after 10 years away from event

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Blake Lively paired her archival Versace gown with a Judith Leiber bag, which was made to look like pieces of artwork in a frame. Lively told Vogue that each of her four children painted one side of the bag.

Blake Lively dons archival Versace gown at Met Gala 

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“So I have them with me, because I’m shy, too, so I just like to have my kids with me,” Lively said. “I probably could have fit them under my dress, to be honest. I should have just snuck them under there.”

Bad Bunny was barely recognizable on the carpet tonight, taking the theme to heart by showcasing an "aging body."

He wore a custom black Zara tuxedo and hyperrealistic prosthetics that aged him about 20 years.

Yes, that is Bad Bunny. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

Bad Bunny's makeup was done by the artist behind Heidi Klum's statuesque look, Mike Marino, according to Vogue.

Asked by La La Anthony who many hours went into his costume's creation, he said, "53 years."

This was a big year for Bad Bunny, with a Super Bowl performance back in February and three huge wins at the Grammy Awards.

“I always try to do something different," he told Vogue on the carpet when he was asked about his look. "This day of the Met is a perfect day to explore and be creative and express yourself in a different way, so that’s what I’m doing tonight. Glad to be here with you and everyone here.”

Beyoncé, who is a co-host tonight, has arrived, with her security in tow.

This is Bey's return to the Met Gala after 10 years away.

Beyoncé. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

Fans chanted her name as she walked the carpet, with her husband, Jay-Z and their daughter Blue Ivy in tow.

The Oscar-nominated actor appears to be at the Knicks game tonight, according to a post on his Instagram story.

That means his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, is likely to be gracing the Met Gala event solo.

@tchalamet via Instagram

Blake Lively was all smiles as she made her way to the Met Gala carpet.

She waved to fans while sporting in her signature body waves, and a dress with a long train. It took four people to place her train on the carpet.

The actor arrived at the event hours after news broke that she and "It Ends With Us" co-star reached a settlement in their legal battle.

Asked by La La on the red carpet what she loves most about the event, Cher said she enjoys seeing "people expressing themselves," adding that it gives her "ideas and encouragement" from other generations.

She also got nostalgic about her first Met Gala, in 1974, when she wore a "naked dress" designed by Bob Mackie

"I remember at the first gala I was naked," she said. "And people were upset about it, but now they won't give it a thought."

Hudson Williams was greeted with screams that lasted over a minute as he arrived at the Met Gala steps.

"THAT'S SHANE HOLLANDER," yelled one fan, referring to the star's breakout role in "Heated Rivalry."

Williams wore a pale blue Balenciaga jacket and pants with embroidered black details.

Hudson Williams. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

His co-star Connor Storrie graced the steps earlier in the evening.

Kim Kardashian shared her look — a sculpted bodysuit by artists Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem.

Kardashian told Vogue on the carpet that the bodysuit was made by Jones, who she said is one of her favorite artists, based on body plates he started making in the 1960s.

Kardashian said Malem constructed the skirt.

Stars — they're just like us: They can't be in two places at once.

Actor-director Ben Stiller and his wife, fellow actor Christine Taylor, joked that they were at the Met Gala rather than at another big New York City event.

Ben Stiller and his wife, Christine Taylor. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

“Well, you know, if you can’t be at Madison Square Garden watching the Knicks win their first playoff game vs. the 76ers, Knicks in six, " Stiller joked. "This is a great second choice."

No sign of fellow celebrity Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet yet on the carpet, though. We're wondering whether he skipped the affair (meaning girlfriend Kylie Jenner is coming solo) for the game.

Doechii arrived barefoot on the Met Gala carpet, telling Vogue that her decision was her “secret way of getting out of wearing heels.”

Doechii shows off her feet at the 2026 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

“And also, I feel like the Met is very clean,” Doechii said during the livestream. “Not the streets of New York City, but the Met is very clean. And I’m here. I’m committed.”

Filmmaker Karan Johar makes his Met Gala debut wearing a custom Manish Malhotra ensemble.

Karan Johar. Theo Wargo / FilmMagic via Getty Images

Johar said on Instagram that he was inspired by the art of Raja Ravi Varma.

“Raja Ravi Varma felt right because his work does something I’ve always tried to do in cinema. He painted feelings.”

He thanked his “oldest partner in crime & fashion,” Manish Malhotra, saying “you made me feel like a canvas for your art, thank you!”

A source says Blake Lively will attend Met Gala tonight.

She would appear just hours after Lively reached a settlement deal with Justin Baldoni in their legal battle.

Hailey Bieber wore a custom Saint Laurent dress featuring a gold bodice and a blue skirt and a matching blue cape.

Hailey Bieber. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

The sculpted bodice is a nod to Saint Laurent's 1969 couture show, which featured two sculpted bodices.

The shade of blue also has a deep history for Saint Laurent. Jacques Majorelle developed the color in 1937 for his Marrakech villa, which was eventually purchased and restored by Yves Saint Laurent, who incorporated "Majorelle blue" into his designs.

Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Amanda Seyfried said that before the Gala, she spent some quality time with her donkeys, Gus and Andrew.

Seyfried, who lives in a farmhouse in upstate New York, told Vogue during the livestream that she rubbed her donkeys' ears as she was getting ready.

Lights, camera, Sabrina.

The pop star arrived at the gala wearing a Dior dress made completely of film.

"It's from the movie 'Sabrina,' which is one of my favorite films of all time," she told Vogue on the carpet, referring to the Audrey Hepburn classic from 1954.

Sabrina Carpenter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Carpenter said Dior made her Coachella looks. as well, before it jumped into Met Gala prep.

"It's all made of film, which is my dream," she said. "Jonathan Anderson the genius that he is and Dior, the whole team ... I can't even express my love and gratitude for them."

Watch NBC News' Chloe Melas analyze how this year's Met Gala tried to move past the swirling controversy around the Bezoses' involvement.

Met Gala tries to rise above billionaire Bezos backlash with 'Costume Art' theme

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Aariana Rose Philip is at the Met Gala for the first time, but a mannequin of her body is already inside the museum.

Aariana Rose Philip. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

The Antiguan-American model and musician was the model for one of the 25 mannequins showcased in the “Costume Art” exhibition.

“They scanned my entire body, head to toe,” Philip told Vogue during the red carpet livestream.

Philip is also the first wheelchair-using model to ever attend the Met Gala, according to Vogue.

“I feel really held and recognized and understood, finally, and valued by my industry that I love and I’ve contributed so much to,” she said. “And it feels like a homecoming, almost. It feels very full circle, and it feels very aligned.”

Heidi Klum, who is known for her famous Halloween looks, went all-out for the Met tonight.

Heidi Klum is statuesque: We love her interpretation of the theme! Theo Wargo / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Klum wore a custom look by Mike Marino that made her look like a marble statue (even her face, hands and feet appeared to be painted).

"What the hell is going on?" Vogue's hosts asked her on the carpet, later commending her dedication to fashion, art and costume.

"Fashion is art, art is fashion," Klum said on the live stream. "I got inspired by the Veiled Vestal [by Raffaele Monti]."

Her only complaint tonight? "It's a little warm." When asked how she gets in and out of the attire to use the restroom, she said "there's a zipper in the back."

Jackson, who plays his superstar uncle in the new Lionsgate biopic "Michael," said he's still in the artist's mindset at the Met.

"I wanted to go with something that's still in the world of 'Michael,' with that film being out," he said of his look during the Vogue livestream. "It had a timeless feel. It felt right when I had it on."

Jackson is wearing Polo Ralph Lauren. He said his look was approved by his fiancée, whom he Facetimed before he arrived on the carpet.

The "Euphoria" actor has arrived at the Met.

"We don't like Jules, but we love you, queen!" a fan shouted as she prepared to pose on the steps.

The actor wore a white cutout dress that revealed a light blue undergarment with a pale pink floral print, paired with white shoes and a blue bow.

Angela Bassett said her pink gown tonight is based on a 1927 Harlem Renaissance painting by Laura Wheeling Waring.

In the painting, a young woman is shown in a similar outfit.

Angela Bassett. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

The actor called her look a "soft nod to the aging body."

In an interview with Ashley Graham and Cara Delevingne, model Gigi Hadid said her daughter signed off on her sheer look tonight.

"She loves anything that's sparkly," Hadid said. "She loves to, like, ... dress up, and she loves, like, a collage moment. So me and the Miu Miu team collaged this onto me."

Tonight's is Hadid's 11th Met Gala. She wore Miu Miu last year, as well.

Anne Hathaway didn’t get much sleep ahead of the Met Gala tonight, fresh off the recent theatrical releases of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Mother Mary.” But she said on the red carpet that she’s grateful to do the things that make her tired.

“When you get a little bit tired, I’m like, ‘Do you like the reason that you’re tired?’” Hathaway said. “And I appreciate it, because I’m sure some people don’t love the reason that they’re tired. I’m really into the reason that I’m tired, and it’s not gonna be this forever.”

Hathaway is wearing a black-and-white gown by Michael Kors, who’s on the carpet with her. The canvas dress features a hand-painted design nodding to the Greek goddess of peace.

Only Beyoncé could get away with co-hosting the Met Gala without fulfilling the co-host duties by arriving on the carpet early.

We're still waiting for her return to the Met steps.

What appear to be AI-generated photos of celebrities donning extravagant gowns at the Gala are quickly spreading on social media. 

A post showing images of "Heated Rivalry" stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storie got 10,000 likes on X despite a clear “Dola AI” watermark in the right-hand corner of the images. 

Another post on X showing singer Meghan Trainor donning a gown inspired by Van Gogh’s "Starry Night" racked up 13,000 likes. Users on X pointed out that one can see a man holding what appears to be a disembodied head in the image.

An account called TrishCrave on X, which is dedicated to posting about internet star Trisha Paytas, shared a photo of the creator wearing a silver-blue corset co-ord set racked up 1,400 likes on the platform. That photo also appears to have been AI-generated.

This isn’t the first year that AI-generated photos of celebrities at the Met Gala circulated on the web. Fake images of celebrities like Katy Perry and Rihanna also popped up online during the Met Gala in 2024. 

Paul Anthony Kelly made his acting debut playing John F. Kennedy Jr. in the FX and Hulu hit “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette."

Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon  Julian Hamilton; John Shearer / Getty Images; WireImage

Now, at his first Met Gala, he said, he's channeling the late Kennedy.

“I tapped into a little bit of John in these situations," Kelly, who wore a Dior suit, told La La on the Vogue livestream. "He always held himself so cordially in these situations. I was trying to rely on that.”

"Heated Rivalry" breakout star Connor Storrie made his Met Gala debut.

But he's "not nervous," he told Ashley Graham during the Vogue livestream.

Perhaps the lack of nerves comes from the massive fan support.

Connor Storrie. Mike Coppola; Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Across the street, onlookers in the crowd went crazy cheering for Storrie as he walked the carpet. Someone even shouted “stop the traffic” as he made his way up the steps.

Storrie wore a black Saint Laurent suit with a polka dot high-neck top that featured a long flowing scarf.

Charli XCX arrived at the gala in a silky black Saint Laurent gown adorned with an iris flower, according to Vogue.

Charli XCX. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

The British singer-songwriter wore her hair slicked back in a half-up, half-down style.

During the Vogue livestream, the famous stylist flashed a big diamond ring that Ashley Graham called out immediately.

"Is that an engagement ring?" she asked.

"He did well," Roach responded, later saying the ring was "a gift."

Writer Lena Dunham told Ashley Graham on the red carpet that she’s dressed as “the blood spatter as Judith cuts the neck off a man,” inspired by the 17th century painting by artist Artemisia Gentileschi.

Lena Dunham arrives to Met Gala in 'blood spatter' inspired dress

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“I would come to the Met every Sunday as a kid and spend a lot of time in the Renaissance painting section,” Dunham said. “One of my favorite painters from that era is Artemisia Gentileschi, who was one of the only women who was painting professionally in that moment.”

Isha Ambani, the business magnate daughter of Mukesh and Nita Ambani, wore custom couture by designer Gaurav Gupta.

Isha Ambani. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania detailed the look on Instagram, saying it "reimagined the saree as a living canvas, merging art, craft, and couture."

"The design draws from India’s rich textile and artistic heritage, incorporating hand painted and embroidered elements with a sculptural drape to position the dressed body as an artistic medium in a contemporary context.”

Adajania noted that the blouse has diamonds and metallic zardozi embroidery, which was sourced from Nita Ambani.

Talking to Vogue, Lauren Sánchez Bezos explained the inspiration behind her Schiaparelli gown.

Lauren Sanchez Bezos . Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

Creative director Daniel Roseberry was influenced by the famous John Singer Sargent painting "Madame X," which hangs in the Met.

But there's one notable difference between Sánchez Bezos's gown and the work of art that currently hangs in the Met—a strap that slips from Sánchez Bezos's shoulder. Sargent's work originally featured a strap slipping off the model's shoulder. It generated such a controversy at the Paris Salon of 1884, Sargent modified the portrait and fled Paris forever, relocating to London.

The Met Gala steps may be where the most camera bulbs flash, but across the street plenty of fans are getting their cellphone pics in.

People outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the Met Gala on Monday.  Amina Kilpatrick / NBC News

The pop star took her mask off for spectators outside the Met steps before she quickly put it back on and headed to the Gala.

Katy Perry. Mike Coppola; Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Back in 2024, two photos of pop star Katy Perry that appeared to have been created by generative AI accrued hundreds of thousands of engagements after they were shared on X. One depicted her in a floor-length cream gown adorned with flowers and lined with moss, while the other had her wearing a metallic corset and a leafy skirt of flowers and vines. The picture with the cream gown appeared online as early as April 18.

But Perry wasn’t there; she later posted on Instagram that she was tied up in the recording studio, instead. The post included a screenshot of a text exchange showing that even her mother fell for the fake photos.

“lol mom the AI got you too, BEWARE!” she texted in response.

In an interview with Vogue livestream host Lala Anthony, Anna Wintour said the Met Gala helps bolster the economic health of New York City.

"If you think about the hotels we fill," she said, "and God knows how many hairdressers we give work to and, indeed, the drivers, it's just a ripple effect."

Doja Cat had a big welcome to the carpet. Fans chanted “Doja” and began singing lyrics to her song “agora hills,” a favorite for fancams. She waved to the crowd once she was midway up the steps.

Doja Cat. John Shearer / WireImage via Getty Images

Nicole Kidman arrived at the Met Gala with her 17-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose.

Sunday Rose Kidman Urban and Nicole Kidman in custom Dior and Chanel gowns. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

Nicole Kidman, 58, is wearing a custom red sequined gown with feathered accents by Chanel. Her daughter is in a custom Dior pink flowery gown.

Kidman was among the first celebrities to arrive at the steps as part of her duty as co-chair.

La La Anthony, the actor and TV personality, debuted a dress on Instagram before she hit the carpet tonight.

La La Anthony. Mike Coppola / Getty Images

She wears a floral-textured, bronze, tight-fitting dress with crystals draping from the sides.

According to Vogue, the dress is by Wiederhoeft.

Outside the Met, 5th avenue is still open to traffic as of 5:45 p.m., with bus, cars, and bicycles still flowing. One hack for the best view appears to be renting a Citibike and taking a stroll down 5th between 84th and 79th Streets. The police have had to usher people along for lingering in front of the steps.

Amina Kilpatrick / NBC News

The tennis icon made her first Met Gala appearance since she tied the knot with her husband, actor and former model Andrea Preti. The pair had a ceremony in Italy last year and another in December in Florida. 

Williams, a co-chair of the 2026 Met Gala, is in a Swarovski crystal black gown with a large, intricately designed necklace that stretches from her neck to her chest.

Venus Williams and Andrea Preti. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

 The dress, according to Vogue, was inspired by a portrait of Williams commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery — Robert Pruitt’s 2022 painting "Venus Williams, Double Portrait." The necklace she wears on the carpet tonight mirrors the necklace in the painting. Williams told Variety she met with Wintour about the look, which was "really intimidating"

Williams also said the best part of the Met Gala was "being in company with Beyoncé and Anna."

Zendaya's longtime stylist, Law Roach, is stepping into the spotlight solo this year.

“It’s one of the first times in my career that going to the Met is about me,” he told Elle magazine.

Roach said he enlisted Alexandre Mattiussi, of the French brand Ami, to create a three-piece white suit for him.

“I’m such a fan of his work,” Roach told Elle. “I’ve used it at the Oscars for two of my clients, Ryan Destiny and Jeremy Pope.”

Zendaya is reportedly skipping this year’s affair, having spent the past two months promoting two projects: “The Drama” and “Euphoria.”

Actor Dwayne Johnson met renowned American fashion designer Thom Browne ahead of the Met Gala.

In a video posted to social media, Johnson revealed that he'll be wearing Thom Browne's luxury brand at tonight's Met Gala.

"Honored to rock Thom Brown all night with some edge, some mana – and vibe," Johnson wrote.

Janelle Monáe channels the Monopoly Man on the Met Gala red carpet. Mike Coppola/MG25 / Getty Images for The Met Museum/

Janelle Monáe's 2025 Met Gala look was also styled and created by Thom Browne.

Emma Chamberlain, serving as Vogue’s special correspondent for the evening, stuns in custom Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

Emma Chamberlain, in her sixth year as a special correspondent for Vogue during the red carpet, is wearing a custom Mugler gown by Miguel Castro Freitas and hand painted by Anna Deller-Yee.

“There is sort of this watercolor feel, and I love watercolor painting,” she told Vogue before the event. “But then also there’s a creepy, sort of ominous undertone to the gown, like the way that it moves. And that is very much my taste in art.”

Four people were spotted helping carry the dress up the steps.

"Heated Rivalry" stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will most likely break the internet if and when they appear on the Met Gala steps tonight.

The actors were relatively unknown before the gay hockey romance show debuted on HBO Max in late November. But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams at the premiere of "Heated Rivalry" at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto on Nov. 24. Harold Feng / Getty Images

The two heartthrobs have also become fashion icons in their own right.

Storrie is an official ambassador for Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co. Williams is a “Friend of the House” at Balenciaga and made his runway debut with Dsquared2 at Milan Fashion Week in January.

Influencer Emma Chamberlain, one of Vogue's red carpet live stream hosts, was an early arrival tonight. She was followed shortly after by carpet co-host and model Ashley Graham.

Ashley Graham. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman and Lauren Sánchez Bezos arrived together, with Wintour waving to the crowd as she reached at the steps.

Nicole Kidman, Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Anna Wintour. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum

The Met Gala’s red (well, cream) carpet is open, complete with long clusters of white florals hanging from the canopy-like ceiling. The steps of the Met tonight resemble a mossy stone staircase bordered by lush hedge walls.

Joshua Henry performs during The 2026 Met Gala Celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York. Dia Dipasupil / MG26 / Getty Images for The Met Museum

The red carpet is just an hour away. Sheinelle Jones shares what to watch for tonight.

All on eyes on 2026 Met Gala: Here's what to expect

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Pop star Katy Perry posed a question to her millions of X followers last night: "Should I go to #TheMet?"

One can assume that if she's asking it, she's already likely to be attending. But you never know.

Back in 2024, two photos of Perry that appeared to have been created by generative AI accrued hundreds of thousands of engagements after they were shared on X. But Perry wasn’t there; she later posted on Instagram that she was tied up in the recording studio, instead. The post included a screenshot of a text exchange showing that even her mother fell for the fake photos.

If Perry does attend tonight, it may mean she'll bring her new boyfriend, Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada. Perry shared photos of the two enjoying the Coachella music festival last month.

Singer-songwriter Sam Smith is ready to lean into the "Fashion Is Art" theme.

Smith shared an image on X yesterday in which they appear to be sporting a headband with a black, puffy circular ball sticking out. They also are wearing black lace gloves.

The theme of each Met Gala, which sets the tone for the evening’s dress code, tends to correspond with that year’s Costume Institute fashion exhibition. Here’s a look at recent themes of years past:

• 2025: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”
• 2024: “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”
• 2023: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”
• 2022: “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”
• 2021: “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”
• 2020: “About Time: Fashion and Duration”

Sheinelle Jones shared a video of her preparation for this year's Met Gala. In the clip, she gets fully glammed up and debuts her look for the night: a glimmery gold V‑neck gown.

Dressed in Cowboy Carter T-shirt and a “BNCNTRY” hat, 17-year-old Hugo De Leon Martinez is on a mission to spot one person: Beyoncé.

De Leon Martinez, a high school student from France, booked this New York City trip specifically to see the Met Gala. It is his second time attending, the first being in 2024 with a location farther back. This year, he arrived before 11:30 a.m. to get a spot in front of the steps.

“I really think it’s going to be one of the best Met Gala’s ever,” De Leon Martizen said. “It’s going to be gorgeous. I’m really excited.”

De Leon Martinez was one of dozens who were standing across the street as early as noon ET to catch glimpses of the Met Gala steps as the event was getting set up.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art shared a video preview of the exhibit that opens Sunday and inspires tonight's theme. Among the pieces on display:

• Vivienne Westwood's MAN x Mister Pearl corseted jacket called "Martyr to Love." The 1996 piece is constructed entirely with pearls and beads.
• A black open-back dress with skeleton-inspired cutouts from Jean Paul Gaultier's 2006 haute couture collection "Les Surréalistes."
• A gold classical-inspired Dolce & Gabbana gown from 2019.
• A 2019 Vetements tattoo-print mesh top. (A similar version from 2020 is available on TheRealReal for $187.50.)

The Beyhive is buzzing over news of musician Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s return to the Met Gala for the first time in a decade.

The superstar has attended the event seven times, wearing Givenchy to five of those carpets. Though she made her Met Gala debut in 2008, most will likely remember her appearance in 2014, when footage of an elevator fight between her husband, Jay-Z, and sister Solange was leaked to TMZ.

Did Beyoncé share a hint about a new rock album for Act III?

06:18

Recent Instagram posts prompted fans to speculate that Beyoncé would be making an announcement of the final album of her trilogy. But in late April, Beyoncé’s publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, took to X to deny a forthcoming album.

Still, we'll be keeping our eyes out for any hints that Act III is on the horizon.

Broadway star and Tony-winning producer Jordan Roth shared a TikTok video explaining how to stand while wearing an “elaborate” Met Gala outfit, referencing the nearly 8-foot-tall look he wore last year.

Roth's look last year, which was designed by LaQuan Smith, was a black suit with beaded detailing. He paired it with Noritaka Tatehana platform shoes and a sheer black hat. In the TikTok video, Roth revisited the outfit and shared the physical challenge of towering over everyone.

“Every year, I say we’re not going to do another physical challenge," Roth said. "And I actually thought this was the year. I thought, it’s a suit, how hard could that be?”

The video shows footage of Roth ducking under ceilings and struggling to get in and out of a car while navigating to the event.

“When your Met Gala look is 8 feet tall, how do you get into the van, sit, or stand?” he wrote in the caption. “You Practice!”

Broadway, runway and TV star Billy Porter is not on this year's Met Gala guest list, saying in a recent interview that he doesn't "go to places where I’m not welcome."

“I was not invited, and I’m good,” Porter said on the SiriusXM show “Bevelations” last month.

Porter said the "only time" he went was the only time he was invited: in 2019, by showrunner Ryan Murphy. That year, Porter wore an Egyptian-inspired ensemble, with layered gold cascading from his headpiece.

The Met is housing its "Costume Art" exhibition in a new space: the Condé M. Nast Galleries.

Nathan Rich and Miriam Peterson, architects on the project, said the 12,000-square-foot space is actually made up of five separate spaces.

"Within the five spaces of the gallery, we're almost creating a microcosm of what you would find throughout the museum, a little world within the world of the Met that feels very directly related to the DNA of the rest of the experience of the museum," Peterson said in a video the Met posted on YouTube.

Tickets for this year’s Met Gala are reportedly selling at $100,000 each, with some tables starting at $350,000.

Proceeds from the highly exclusive, star-studded event go toward operating costs for the Met’s Costume Institute, which is the only curatorial department within the museum that must raise its own funds.

Last year, the gala raised a whopping $31 million. This year, the event has already raised a record $42 million, the museum announced during a news conference this afternoon.

The donations will primarily be used to support the exhibitions, publications, acquisitions and operations of the Met’s Costume Institute, as well as overall museum programming and activities that the museum offers to its 6.3 million yearly visitors.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs for the 2026 gala, helped fund the “Costume Art” exhibition that gives this year’s gala its theme.

Their involvement has incited protest from activist groups, in part over their perceived support of the Trump administration.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in Venice on June 26, 2025. Luca Bruno / AP

An anti-billionaire group called Everyone Hates Elon has been putting up ads around New York City accusing Bezos of things like “enabling ICE,” “avoiding tax” and “exploiting workers.”

"Tonight’s Met Gala will be brought to you by the taxes Jeff Bezos didn’t pay. By worker exploitation. By contracts with ICE and the IDF," the group's organizer told NBC News. "Shame on every A-lister that attends — there can be no red carpet for Trump’s billionaires."

Over the past few days, the group has put up posters, placed parody merch protesting Bezos in the museum’s gift shops, and set up a parody toilet station inviting Met Gala guests to urinate in bottles (a nod to reports that Amazon workers have had to do so on the job).

When asked about the protest campaign, a spokesperson for Amazon told NBC News that "Amazon employees are free to use the restroom whenever they need."

Bezos has also been linked to the gala before. In 2012, Amazon sponsored the event and he served as honorary chair.

In an interview with “TODAY” in March, Sánchez Bezos said that Wintour approached the couple to sponsor the exhibition this year. The tech billionaire’s wife was featured on the Vogue cover after their June 2025 wedding.

Kim Kardashian hinted on social media that her Met Gala makeup tonight will include “more neutral bronze tones.”

But when asked about her outfit this year on X, Kardashian didn’t give too much away. “Hmmm I don’t think you will be able to guess,” she wrote.

This will be Kardashian’s 13th year at the annual event, where she has become a regular attendee ever since her debut appearance in 2013.

She posted a carousel of photos to Instagram reflecting on some of her infamous carpet looks. That included a throwback to when Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s iconic gown, a choice that brought much scrutiny to the reality star/entrepreneur.

Hours before the glitz and glam took over the Met, the museum opened its doors for a media preview that was a spectacle of pure pomp and circumstance.

A hush fell over the crowd as Vogue's Anna Wintour took to the podium in front of a sea of cameras and journalists to talk about the significance of the night.

Anna Wintour during the news conference for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Taylor Hill / WireImage via Getty Images

Wintour then praised her co-chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos, citing her energy and positive attitude. Sánchez Bezos, who was on Vogue's cover after getting married to Jeff Bezos last year, also addressed reporters.

“The Met has always understood something the rest of the world is finally catching up to: Fashion is art,” Sánchez Bezos said, noting that she's "so grateful to be in this room."

When remarks wrapped up, I had a chance to check out the museum's new Condé M. Nast Galleries before the general public.

Based off the corsets and sheer outfits that were on display, it's likely that many of tonight's looks will showcase a lot of skin.

Many major fashion houses have brought on new creative directors in the past year, meaning tonight will mark many designers' first Met Gala in their new roles. Among those to watch are:

• Matthieu Blazy at Chanel. Met Gala co-host Nicole Kidman has a contract with the brand and is perhaps the most likely to don a Blazy look.
• Demna at Gucci.
• Jonathan Anderson at Dior.
• Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga.
• Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi.

The "Fashion Is Art" dress code is derived from the institute’s spring 2026 exhibition, “Costume Art.”

Max Hollein, CEO and director of the Met, told The Associated Press last year that the goal of the exhibit is to take visitors on a journey through art history, where they will see connections throughout.

“It’s a show that can really live in fascinating ways at the museum and can pull from all different areas of our collection — paintings, sculpture, drawings,” Hollein told the publication.

The show is “organized thematically by different body types,” Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator in charge, told the AP. Some of the sections include: the “Naked Body,” the “Classical Body,” the “Pregnant Body” and the “Aging Body.”

The exhibition is slated to run from May 10 to Jan. 10, 2027, and features nearly 400 objects, the Met said.

The Met Gala dress code is “Fashion Is Art,” with guests being asked to “celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history,” the museum said.

Met Gala spectators may not get a ticket into the A-list affair.

But they can get a piece of the red carpet. Every year, Ed Resnick, the owner of Event Carpet, crosses the street from the Met to hand out leftover pieces from the real carpet to fans.

Amina Kilpatrick / NBC News

He told NBC News he's been helping put the Met Gala carpet together for 23 years. While we haven't seen any pictures of the actual carpet, the squares that Resnick distributed were an off-white color with splashes of what appear to be green paint.

This year’s carpet comes from India and is made of sisal, which is a biodegradable natural fiber derived from the leaves of the Agave sisalana plant. The material, in contrast to American carpets, soaks in the paint between, which was crucial to this year's design, Resnick said.

Mike Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams all attended the Met Gala during their terms as New York City mayor. 

But Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, are skipping the event this year. In an interview with local publication Hell Gate, Mamdani confirmed that although he loves the Met, the first couple of New York City will be sitting out this year’s Met Gala to focus on affordability. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. NBC News

The mayor's office collaborated with the publication i-D to spotlight six local fashion industry professionals.

“The fashion industry is made possible by the thousands of workers behind the scenes—seamstresses, tailors, retail workers, delivery drivers—whose immense talent and dedication deserves to be celebrated,” Mamdani said.

Magazine executive Anna Wintour stepped down as Vogue’s editor-in-chief last year, a role she held for nearly 40 years. She now has two titles: Condé Nast’s chief content officer and Vogue’s global editorial director.

Chloe Malle was tapped as the new head of editorial for American Vogue last fall. Malle was previously the editor of Vogue.com and co-host of the magazine’s weekly podcast “The Run-Through.”

During a news conference today, Wintour reflected on her first time at the gala in 1982 when she was a fashion editor at New York magazine and Diana Vreeland led the Costume Institute.

"My salary was such that I could barely afford a dress, much less a ticket," she said. "But my editor generously paid my way into the Great Hall, which in those days was where one could stand to be on hand as the celebrities exited the dinner. In other words, the cheap seats. I was thrilled."

Wintour said she ended up purchasing a Yves Saint Laurent cocktail dress for $900 for the affair.

"I was a nobody that night, but it meant the world to me, a foreigner who had arrived in New York not so long before, to be part of something so important to the city, and to the daunting world of fashion, where I was making my way."

Tickets for this year’s event started at $100,000 a seat, and $350,000 for a table of 10, according to The Associated Press. But Anna Wintour, as always, has full control over the guest list and must approve of each attendee.

In addition to Wintour’s co-hosts, there’s a Met Gala host committee, which is chaired by Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello and actor Zoë Kravitz. (It’s unclear whether Kravitz’s rumored fiancé, Harry Styles, will accompany her to the affair, but eagle-eyed fans will be looking out for an engagement ring.)

Other members of the committee who are expected to attend include pop star Sabrina Carpenter, writer Lena Dunham, singer Sam Smith and WNBA star A’ja Wilson. 

Onlookers can also expect to see frequent Met Gala guests, such as members of the Kardashian-Jenner family, and fashion icons, like Sarah Jessica Parker, on the Met steps. 

Musician Beyoncé, actor Nicole Kidman and tennis star Venus Williams serve as co-hosts alongside magazine executive Anna Wintour, who has long spearheaded the event. 

Kidman, who chaired the gala in 2003 and 2005, has made six appearances at the gala in total.

Venus Williams, Anna Wintour, Beyoncé and Nicole Kidman. Cindy Ord; Kevin Mazur; Amy Sussman; Axelle / Getty Images

This will be Williams' first time serving as chair. She has been involved in fashion on and off the court through her career as a tennis player, including launching her own label.

The official Met Gala livestream, which begins at 6 p.m. ET, will be featured across Vogue’s website and YouTube and TikTok pages. Influencer Emma Chamberlain, actor Cara Delevingne, model Ashley Graham and TV personality La La Anthony serve as Vogue’s official red carpet hosts.

Additionally, E! is livestreaming departures from The Mark, The Carlyle and The Pierre — three hotels where celebrities tend to get ready with their stylists.

And, of course, NBC News will be live-blogging the event all evening. 

Red carpet arrivals typically begin around 5 p.m. and end around 8 p.m. Though, some of the most well-known guests tend to show up on the later side. Last year, for example, Rihanna made a fashionably late appearance on the carpet, hours after her partner, A$AP Rocky, confirmed the news that she was pregnant.

The 2026 Met Gala is here — which means it’s time for daring looks, possible baby bump debuts and some meme-worthy moments.

Watch the "TODAY" breakdown of what to know below:

Met Gala 2026: What to know about the theme, co-chairs and more

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