Madonna made a spectacular entrance at the Met Gala 2026. Getty Images
The 2026 Met Gala returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with a theme that asked stars to treat fashion as more than clothing.
This year’s Costume Institute event followed the theme Costume Art, with the dress code Fashion is Art. Guests responded with bold, dramatic and highly detailed looks that turned the famous Met steps into a moving gallery.
Madonna Makes a Grand Entrance
Madonna delivered one of the night’s most striking arrivals. The pop star wore a Saint Laurent satin-and-lace slip dress with a sweeping violet organza cape. Seven attendants carried the cape as she made her way along the carpet.
She completed the look with a long black wig and a playful pirate ship hat. Her outfit drew inspiration from artist Leonora Carrington, the surrealist painter who also influenced Madonna’s Bedtime Story music video.
Beyoncé Returns After a Decade
Beyoncé made her first Met Gala appearance in 10 years. As one of the evening’s co-chairs, she wore a bejewelled skeleton gown designed by Olivier Rousteing, the former creative director of Balmain and a close collaborator.
She attended with Jay-Z and their daughter Blue Ivy. At 14, Blue Ivy made her first appearance at the event, despite the gala’s usual strict age rules.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky also made a major impact. Rihanna wore a custom Maison Margiela gown by Glenn Martens, decorated with more than 115,000 crystal beads, antique jewels and chains. The outfit was inspired by medieval architecture from Flanders, Belgium. Rocky appeared beside her in a pink Chanel smoking jacket.
Wintour Leads Fashion’s Biggest Night
Anna Wintour, the global chief content officer of Condé Nast and chair of the Met Gala, arrived early in a turquoise Chanel gown with feather details. She paired it with her familiar black sunglasses and sharp bob.
Wintour’s role remains central to the event’s success. Over nearly 80 years, the gala has raised more than $113 million for the Met’s Costume Institute. In 2014, the institute’s centre was renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center.
Nicole Kidman, also a co-chair, wore a Chanel gown with sequins and feathers. The dress reportedly took 800 hours to make. Her daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, made her Met debut in a soft pink Dior gown.
Stars Draw From Art and History
Alexa Chung chose a Dior satin halter-neck dress with a chiffon insert and a chartreuse-coloured geometric pattern. She added a floral headpiece made of lily-of-the-valley fabric bouquets and black satin ribbons.
Kim Kardashian worked with artist Allen Jones and design duo Whitaker Malem on a cyborg-inspired breastplate. Kylie Jenner wore a Schiaparelli gown with sculpted details and a pearl-covered train.
Kendall Jenner wore a GapStudio design by Zac Posen, inspired by the ancient Greek statue Winged Victory of Samothrace. Olivia Wilde referenced John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Madame X in a black Thom Browne corset dress with a falling shoulder strap and layers of tulle.
Cara Delevingne appeared in custom Ralph Lauren, while Kate Moss returned in black lace Saint Laurent. Lila Moss wore a gown made from three 1920s beaded dresses.
Emma Chamberlain took the theme literally in a hand-painted Mugler dress, while Heidi Klum wore grey fabric inspired by Raffaelle Monti’s Veiled Vestal.
