Met Gala 2026: Stars Who Broke Protocol, Fashion Winners & Dateless Celebrities — Photos

The annual gala that doubles as fashion's most watched spectacle delivered another unforgettable evening, complete with rule-bending, stunning solo arrivals, and a best-dressed debate that's still going.

The 2026 Met Gala took place on Monday, May 4, with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour co-chairing the event. The night's theme, "Costume Art," launched a sweeping new exhibition at the Met's newly inaugurated Condé M. Nast Galleries.

And while the looks were doing plenty of talking, so was everything else: a brand-new age rule that at least two famous daughters apparently sidestepped, a singer and a model who showed up in a forbidden piece of clothing, and a best-dressed race that had Beyoncé herself on the wrong end of the argument.

Fashion's Biggest Night, by the Numbers

The Met Gala is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual fundraiser for its Costume Institute, timed each year to mark the opening of the department's spring exhibition. In 2025, it broke its own record with a $31 million gross, the biggest haul in the event's 77-year history.

This year's "Costume Art" exhibition is no small undertaking. Spanning nearly 12,000 square feet and pairing garments with art objects across some 5,000 years of history, it organizes the dressed body into thematic categories, from the "Classical Body" to the often-overlooked "Pregnant Body" and "Aging Body." The dress code for guests was "Fashion Is Art," and some took that more literally than others.

Inside the event, Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna performed. The host committee co-chairs were Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz, and Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary chairs as the event's lead sponsors.

The 2026 gala also marked several debut appearances, including Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams, Chase Infiniti, Paul Anthony Kelly, and Sombr.

The Protocol Problem

This year's event came with a notable new rule: a minimum age of 18 to attend. Organizers confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the restriction was an executive decision rooted in the nature of the party itself, described as simply "not an appropriate event for people under 18." Exceptions are possible when a parent accompanies guests.

Two celebrity children who appeared to fall under that exception were Blue Ivy Carter and Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. Both are minors, but both had co-chairs for mothers, which may explain their presence on the carpet.

The other protocol breach was considerably more sartorial. Troye Sivan and model Bhavitha Mandava both arrived wearing jeans, a choice that carries a specific weight in Wintour's orbit.

In a recent Vogue podcast, three former Wintour assistants described the unspoken dress code of her office. "It was never explicitly said, but in Anna's office, there are no jeans or sneakers," one said. Another added, "When I graduated out of Anna's office, the first thing I did was start wearing jeans to work, and it was amazing."

Wintour herself addressed the topic of jeans in a 2019 interview. Although she liked them in general, the former Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue said, "I also think there are times when you need to be respectful. You should definitely not wear jeans to Buckingham Palace." Whether the Met Gala red carpet clears that bar is, apparently, open to interpretation.

The Ladies Who Went Solo

Several high-profile attendees walked the carpet without their partners. One of them was Blake Lively, who arrived without her husband, Ryan Reynolds, despite his joining her at past galas.

Still, she looked amazing in an archival Atelier Versace dress from spring 2006, built from powdery pinks, lemon yellows, corals, soft peaches, and frothy lilacs, colors drawn from a sunset palette.

Another solo lady was Kylie Jenner, who is dating Timothée Chalamet. She walked the cream carpet in Schiaparelli, wearing a gown which appeared to be falling open to reveal a nude illusion corset with faux nipples and a heavily embellished pearl-covered train.

Surprisingly, Sánchez Bezos, despite co-sponsoring the event alongside her husband, walked alone in an off-the-shoulder Schiaparelli couture gown with pearl and crystal straps and a corset bodice, a silhouette that drew clear comparisons to the Met's own Madame X painting by John Singer Sargent.

Another solo act was Hailey Bieber, married to Justin Bieber, who stepped out in a custom Saint Laurent dress featuring a sculpted bodice made entirely of 24-karat gold, with a long blue silk chiffon skirt that moved to reveal metallic leather sandals beneath.

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian went alone amid rumors she's dating Lewis Hamilton. She wore a sculptural Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem ensemble, consisting of a metallic orange bodysuit paired with an open-front leather skirt.

More ladies appeared to be alone. Katy Perry, who is dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, arrived in a white off-the-shoulder Stella McCartney gown with long white opera gloves, and her face was completely hidden behind a sculptural silver mirrored mask framed in white mesh.

Kravitz, recently engaged to Harry Styles, walked solo in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. She's a longtime ambassador of the house and accessorized with Jessica McCormack jewelry and, of course, her new engagement ring, featuring a dazzling east-west cushion-cut stone. Her lace dress, dyed black and worn unlined, featured a basque waist.

The final solo lady was Gigi Hadid, although she's dating Bradley Cooper. For the cream carpet, she donned a see-through Miu Miu gown embroidered with crystal flames and florals drawn from the house's Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

The sheer black design featured a scoop neck and a shimmery fabric that, between its movement and construction, left very little to the imagination.

The Best and Worst Dressed, According to the Internet

Few conversations moved faster on Monday night than the one about who nailed it and who didn't. Fans had opinions, and they were not shy about sharing them.

Emma Chamberlain landed as best-dressed in most online commentary. She commissioned Chicago-born artist and designer Anna Deller-Yee to hand-paint a custom Mugler dress.

On X, fans were effusive: "Emma Chamberlain really nailed the theme beautifully. Best dressed for theme execution for me," wrote one. Another added, "Emma chamberlain was the best dressed [sic]," while a third wrote, "Best Dressed #METGala goes to Emma Chamberlain. #METGala2026 [sic]."

Cardi B, by contrast, found herself firmly among the worst dressed. The "WAP" rapper wore a custom Marc Jacobs lace ruffle dress layered over a color-blocked bodysuit, paired with 9½-inch platform boots.

The look, inspired by German artist Hans Bellmer and the Marc Jacobs Fall 2025 runway, generated strong reactions online. On X, someone wrote, "Cardi on my worst dressed list. Disappointed."

Another shared, "Omg. Cardi's stylist NEVER misses. Everrrrr. What happened!?!?!? This dress looks like keloid skin & it makes me super uncomfortable [sic]." A third offered a blunter take, "Cardi b outfit looks itchy looking omg it looks scary [sic]."

Eileen Gu was a clear best-dressed pick. The 22-year-old, who won two silvers and a gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February, wore a short bubble dress by Dutch designer Iris van Herpen, known for her "tech-couture" aesthetic. The best part was that actual bubbles floated out of it.

Fans on Instagram reacted with clear enthusiasm: "Best dress ever!," "Best dress!," and "So unique❤️ [sic]."

Heidi Klum earned a spot on the worst-dressed list among netizens, though her look was more baffling than boring. Her custom look by Mike Marino, made from a blend of latex and spandex, was designed to evoke classical marble sculptures.

On Reddit, opinions came fast. "Why are her eyes going in different directions," wrote one commenter. A second echoed, "Are her eyes supposed to do that?!" Another called the ensemble "insane (positive)." On X, the verdict was plainer: "Heidi Klum was the worst dressed."

Blue Ivy, already a subject of conversation for breaking the age rule, made an equally strong case for best dressed. She wore a monochromatic white strapless Balenciaga gown with a billowing skirt and train. She also kept it cool and modern with an unzipped jacket and sunglasses, and finished with silver stilettos.

One netizen exclaimed, BLUE IVY THE YOUNGEST IN CHARGE WON BEST DRESSED TONIGHT. 🔥 #METGALA [sic]." Another added, "Blue Ivy - Best dressed female. Davido - Best dressed male." And one more noted, "BLUE BEING THE YOUNGEST PERSON TO GET ON THAT MET GALA CARPET. #metgala [sic]."

Kardashian didn't just draw attention for flying solo despite her dating rumors. Her sculptural Allen Jones ensemble placed her squarely among the worst dressed. This metallic orange bodysuit and open-front leather skirt drew a notably uncomfortable response on TikTok, where commenters were consistent in their thoughts: "She looks suffering 😐 [sic]," "It looks painful to wear," and "She looks like she is in pain."

Being part of a shared worst-dressed callout on X only cemented it: "Cardi B, Gigi, Kylie, Katy Perry, Hailey Bieber & Kim are some of the worst dressed for #MetGala2026 [sic]."

Ciara and Russell Wilson arrived together and immediately became the night's consensus best-dressed couple. Ciara wore a golden gown and a commanding structural headdress with triangular sunglasses, a full royal Egyptian moment in Celia Kritharioti. Meanwhile, Russell matched in an ivory three-piece Brandon Blackwood suit with gold embellishments.

The response online was immediate. Even KFC got in on it, writing on X, "it's giving regal glow from the king and queen." A fan echoed the sentiment, "CIARAAAAAAA!!!!!! BEST DRESSED OF THE NIGHT!! [sic]," while another agreed, "Ciara & Russell were the best-dressed couple tonight."

Bieber also found herself among netizens' picks for worst dressed, despite her undeniably striking custom 24-karat gold Saint Laurent look. On TikTok, commenters were blunt: "what is this. its like an incomplete superman outfit [sic]," "Girl no hate but why is this so basic?? [sic]," and "the worst outfit of the met gala 2026 [sic]."

Carpenter was one of the night's top best-dressed picks. She walked the carpet in a custom Dior slit tulle dress by Jonathan Anderson, paying homage to Audrey Hepburn's 1954 film "Sabrina" with a full-body wrap of rhinestone film strips that, if you look closely, contain actual stills featuring Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.

On TikTok, the reactions ranged from ecstatic to poetic: "The best look of the night!," "the style is so old Hollywood while also being new hollywood(!?) absolute Cinema! she is wearing the silver screen!!!!! ah! love [sic]," and one more wrote: "SHE IS THE BEST DRESSED THERE ARGUE WITH THE WALL [sic]."

Beyoncé co-chaired the event and, perhaps surprisingly, landed on several worst-dressed picks. Her gown featured a skin-tone mesh base embellished with a diamond skeleton that traveled all the way down to her fingers.

The reaction on X was mixed at best: "Its really just a bedazzled skeleton..... [sic]" and "might be worst dressed once you get past the fact it's 'beyoncé' [sic]." Another went further, "the way she beyonce refuses to look anything other than expensive is SO BORINGGGGGG, see-through dress with rhinestones?? groundbreaking 😑 [sic]."

More Stunning Looks from the Met Gala 2026