The Best Photos and Candid Moments From the Met Gala 2026
The first Monday in May has arrived, which in the fashion world means one thing: the stars have descended upon Manhattan for the Met’s annual gala benefiting the Costume Institute. This year's edition, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour—with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos as honorary chairs—celebrates the opening of "Costume Art," an exhibition pairing garments and artworks from across the Met's vast collection to make the case for fashion as an embodied art form. The dress code, "Fashion Is Art," plays on the same theme.
The gala surpassed last year's $31 million in funds raised with a record-breaking $42 million, an especially vital sum given that the Costume Institute is largely self-funded. That’s part of what makes the night so important for supporting the arts, and while the parade of celebrities, designers, and artists posing in meticulously crafted looks is the night's biggest draw, the spontaneous moments once guests clear the museum steps are the most coveted. That's in part because phones and photography inside the gala have been banned—per Wintour—since 2015, though a few candid photos typically manage to make it out (you might recall 2017’s infamous bathroom-smoking photos). Below, the behind-the-scenes celeb run-ins and moments from the 2026 Met Gala you might've missed.
Rihanna, Ciara and Katy Perry
Teyana Taylor and Connor Storrie
Ayo Edebiri and Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz, Lily-Rose Depp and Gracie Abrams
Tate McRae, Rosé, and Connor Storrie
Ayo Edebiri and Lily-Rose Depp
Rihanna, Heidi Klum, and A$AP Rocky
Beyoncé
Beyoncé and Blue Ivy
Blue Ivy and Beyoncé
Sabrina Carpenter, Zoë Kravitz and Hailey Bieber
Sabrina Carpenter admiring the Met’s art collection
Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner
Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner and Zoë Kravitz
Hailey Bieber, SZA and Doechii
SZA, Doechii and Hailey Bieber
Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner and Russell Westbrook
Chase Sui Wonders, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Hailey Bieber
Olivia Wilde and Katy Perry
Alexis Roche, Kylie Jenner and John Galliano
Colman Domingo and Janelle Monáe
Jordan Roth, Paul Anthony Kelly and Olivia Wilde
Mark Zuckerberg, Alysa Liu, and Priscilla Chan
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban and Nicole Kidman
Coco Jones and Doechii
Anok Yai and Pierpaolo Piccioli
Greta Gerwig, Stella McCartney, and Tate McRae
Jennie, Hoyeon, and Chase Infiniti
Chase Infiniti and Hoyeon
Jennie, Hoyeon, and Chase Infiniti
Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor and Heidi Klum
Ben Stiller and Heidi Klum
Olivia Wilde and Patrick Schwarzenegger
Rami Malek
Huma Abedin and Ben Stiller
Julianne Moore and Lux Pascal
Conner Ives, Lila Moss, Laura Harrier, Adwoa Aboah and Louisa Jacobson
Tom Sturridge, Alexa Chung, Conner Ives, Lila Moss and Adwoa Aboah at The Mark Hotel
