Met Gala 2026: From Beyoncé to Blake Lively, the best celebrity looks from fashion’s biggest night

The Met Gala 2026 descended like a fully-fledged fashion fever dream. Held on fashion’s most-watched first Monday in May, this year’s red carpet doubled down on drama, artistry, and pure spectacle, with celebrities treating the steps of the Met like a living exhibition. From sculptural silhouettes and archival revivals to looks that blurred the line between costume and couture, the night was a reminder that the Met Gala is more about storytelling through fashion. And in 2026, everyone showed up ready to be remembered, not just seen.

Emma Chamberlain arrived in custom Mugler looking like she’d stepped straight out of a surrealist fashion painting. Designed by Miguel Castro Freitas, the hand-painted look nodded to vintage Mugler magic, including the house’s iconic 1997 butterfly dress. Fashion is art, you say? Emma understood the assignment, and then framed it.

Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham proved that patience is couture in custom Di Petsa. Forget zippers, the model was literally sewn into her Met Gala look by hand, according to Vogue. With Di Petsa heavily featured in this year’s exhibition, the look felt equal parts red carpet and living museum piece.

Rihanna

Rihanna turned the Met Gala carpet into her own architectural runway in a sculptural Maison Margiela creation inspired by the dramatic medieval structures of Flanders, Belgium. The gown was pure fashion fantasy.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman shimmered her way onto the Met Gala carpet in a ruby-red, sequin-drenched Chanel gown that practically glowed under the flashes.

Venus Williams

Venus Williams brought meaning and sparkle to the Met Gala in a glittering black Swarovski gown, complete with a striking custom neckplate she designed herself. Etched with symbols representing different chapters of her life, the look was a mix of personal armour and stunning drama.

Gwendoline Christie

The North remembers! Gwendoline Christie wore custom Giles Deacon, designed by her own partner. The theatrical look pulled inspiration from artists John Singer Sargent, Madame Yevonde, and Ira Cohen, resulting in a gown that felt gloriously dramatic.

Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz may have had everyone sneaking a glance at her dazzling Jessica McCormack engagement ring from Harry Styles, but her sculptural lace Yves Saint Laurent gown refused to be overshadowed. Delicate, daring, and impossibly cool, the look delivered rockstar romance with couture edge.

Isha M. Ambani

Isha Ambani knows how to make an entrance, and while her jewellery could outshine a chandelier, her draped, sari-inspired Gaurav Gupta look held its own beautifully. Sculptural, elegant, and rich with drama, the outfit was already a winner, then came the mango-shaped purse, because why stop at couture when you can also serve whimsy?

EJAE

She's going up, up, it's her moment! Ejae brought a striking blend of history and high glamour to the Met Gala in a custom Swarovski creation that shimmered from every angle. Inspired partly by the Venus de Milo and partly by gisaeng (“기녀”), the female courtesans of Korea’s Joseon dynasty, the look fused classical sculpture with Korean heritage in a way that felt both ethereal and fiercely modern.

Blackpink's Lisa

Lisa and Robert Wun clearly understood that subtlety was not on the Met Gala guest list. The global superstar wore a dramatic veiled creation featuring sculptural extra arms and hands, all created from 3D scans of Lisa herself. Inspired by traditional Thai dance poses, the look was eerie, theatrical, and impossible to ignore, in the best way.

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke leaned all the way into retro fantasy at the Met Gala in Prada, serving up a look that felt straight out of an Americana daydream. With a voluminous full skirt and a well-placed headband, the ensemble channelled Prada's playful spirit.

Jisoo from Blackpink

Jisoo looked like she had stepped straight out of a couture garden in a strapless pink column gown by Dior. Draped in airy gazar and intricately embroidered with a full garden scene, the dress bloomed with floral bouquets at the trim, a walking bouquet, but make it high fashion.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway turned the Met Gala into a literal gallery moment in a custom Michael Kors Collection gown created in collaboration with artist James McGough. The piece, featuring hand-drawn illustrations inspired by John Keats’ poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” was so artful it practically belonged behind glass at the Met.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter closed out the Met Gala in cinematic style in a custom Dior tulle slit gown made from literal film strips, a playful nod to Sabrina, naturally. Red carpet and reel cut, the look was a final scene-stealer worthy of its own credits roll.

Madonna

Madonna reminded everyone exactly who owns pop culture in a commanding Saint Laurent moment. Draped in a dramatic veil and teasing her “Confessions 2” era, she turned the Met Gala into her personal stage. Nobody leans into theatrical quite like Madonna.

Blake Lively

Blake Lively marked her 11th Met Gala appearance with a transformation, choosing an archival spring 2006 Versace gown inspired by the powdery elegance of 18th-century Venetian Rococo art. But in true Blake fashion, she didn’t stop there — she and Versace “Met-ified” the piece with a jaw-dropping 13-foot train, because subtlety is clearly not part of the dress code.

Beyonce

Beyoncé reunited with longtime collaborator Olivier Rousteing for a Met Gala moment that felt like future fashion archaeology. The 2026 co-chair arrived in a sculptural, silvery “skeleton” look courtesy of the designer, proving their creative chemistry is still unmatched. And if the name rings a bell, it’s because Rousteing is also the mind behind her legendary 2018 Beychella wardrobe, iconic then, and still undefeated now.