2026 Met Gala: Beyoncé and Rihanna walk the red carpet

Summary

Beyoncé tells the BBC it feels great to be back at fashion's biggest night alongside her daughter and husband at the Met Gala in New York
It's the singer's first appearance at the gala in a decade, where she is co-chair alongside Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour
Meanwhile, pop star Sabrina Carpenter tells the BBC's Nada Tawfik that her dress is made from strips of film from the Audrey Hepburn classic Sabrina
Anne Hathaway and some of The Devil Wears Prada 2 cast get huge cheers from onlookers as they arrive
Heidi Klum's ultra-realistic statue outfit draws looks on the carpet, and Rihanna arrives just as it looked like things were finished
The dress code for this year's fundraiser is "Fashion is Art", celebrating the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring costume exhibition
The gala is not without controversy, with activists protesting billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's involvement as a sponsor

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay and Oliver O'Connell, with Nada Tawfik and Pratiksha Ghildial at the Met Gala

Beyoncé sparkles among a parade of starspublished at 02:59 BST
Grace Eliza Goodwin
US reporter
Image source, Getty Images
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Beyoncé at the top of the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
A parade of stars showed up to tonight's red carpet - a mossy, cream-coloured brick road set beneath a canopy of Wisteria blossoms - for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual gala.
In keeping with the dress code Fashion is Art, some celebrities opted for clearly art-inspired looks, like Hunter Schafer channelling Gustav Klimt, while others focused more on the body types aspect of the theme, like Beyonce who wore a skeletal gown.
We saw a number of unusual looks, including Madonna who wore a ship on her head and Heidi Klum who appeared as a marble statue. There were also quite a few black, beige, and metallic looks this evening from stars like Venus Williams, Rihanna, Cher, Margot Robbie and Charli XCX.
We're ending our live coverage now but you can read more about the most head-turning looks of this year here: These are the most talked about looks of the night at the 2026 Met Gala
Timothée Chalamet skips the Met Gala to watch the Knicks playoffspublished at 02:47 BST
Image source, Getty Images
While his girlfriend Kylie Jenner is partying at the Met Gala, true New York Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet skipped the glitz and glam in favour of his usual courtside seat tonight.
The Dune star has served looks at Met Galas in the past, but clearly, watching his basketball team play the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in the second round of the NBA playoffs was more important.
Maybe he and Kylie will meet up for late night burgers after.

Hands down my look of the night is…published at 02:44 BST
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
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Emma Chamberlain wearing a draping gown that evokes watercolors
With a theme as broad as Fashion is Art, the Met Gala ran the risk of seldom few showstoppers, though I didn’t imagine it would be this somber.
Apparently everyone interpreted the dress code as nude sculptures that wouldn’t be out of place in the exhibition’s section dedicated to that.
One motif that popped up was hands, with Lena Mahfouf in custom Burc Akyol with hands covering her breasts, Nichapat Suphap was in custom Robert Wun with robotic hands, and Sabine Getty had hands caressing her body in a custom Ashi Studio.
Vogue red carpet host Ashley Graham and Naomi Osaka also played up their hands with painted digits, while Queen Bey’s exoskeleton extended to her fingertips.
But hands down the look of the night is once again Emma Chamberlain, the influencer and Vogue red carpet host who killed it in custom Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas, inspired by the butterfly look of Thierry Mugler Spring/Summer 1997 Couture. She routinely puts the big stars on notice.
Chase Infiniti and Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo in custom Jean Paul Gaultier that referenced the Winged Victory of Samothrace statue were also standouts.
Image source, Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
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Emma Chamberlain
Image source, Getty Images
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Chase Infiniti
Image source, Getty Images
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Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo
Karan Johar represented Bollywood on the carpet tonightpublished at 02:38 BST
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from the Met Gala
Image source, Getty Images
Indian filmmaker Karan Johar stopped to speak to the BBC earlier tonight on the red carpet.
He was wearing an outfit designed by his close friend, famous Indian designer Manish Malhotra, who was also present at the Gala tonight.
It consisted of a vintage jacket over a hand-painted cape with detailed embroidery. His team described the paintings featured on his outfit as characters from Indian mythology.
Johar said fashion is a massive part of his movies, which have been cemented as some of the most iconic in modern Bollywood. He added that the day had him feeling emotional.

The night's not over, Rihanna is herepublished at 02:19 BST
Rihanna has arrived at the Met Gala with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky.
And we can't even be mad about their tardiness... they look so good.
Image source, Getty Images
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Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
Image source, Getty Images
'I Love LA' takes on NYCpublished at 02:15 BST
Buzzy Hollywood actresses and co-stars in HBO's I Love LA, Odessa A'zion and Rachel Sennott, who also created the show, both wore dresses showcasing pops of color against black.
Image source, Getty Images
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Actress Rachel Sennott in a pop art costume
Image source, WWD via Getty Images
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Actress Odessa A'zion at the Met Gala

Hold on... Rihanna is on the waypublished at 02:12 BST
Image source, Getty Images
We weren't sure if singer Rihanna would be joining tonight's festivities.
But in typical fashion, she's arriving late and dripped out in custom Maison Margiela.
She just left her hotel and is en route to the Gala.
Big stars arrive as the carpet winds downpublished at 02:11 BST
Image source, Getty Images
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Rapper Cardi B
Image source, Reuters
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Tessa Thompson poses during the Met Gala
Image source, Reuters
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Daisy Edgar-Jones
Image source, Getty Images
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Singer Tyla poses in her blue and silver gown

Golden girlspublished at 02:05 BST
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
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Actress Grace Gummer wears a metallic golden look
Image source, Getty Images
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Singer-songwriter Tate McRae in gilded lace
Image source, Variety via Getty Images
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Musician Ciara, wearing all gold, posing with her husband, American footballer Russell Wilson
Teyana Taylor, Romeo Beckham, and more you might have missedpublished at 01:55 BST
Image source, Getty Images
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Actress and singer Teyana Taylor covered in silver threads
Image source, Getty Images
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Actress Keke Palmer is showstopping in red
Image source, Getty Images
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Model Romeo Beckham, the son of David and Victoria Beckham
Image source, Getty Images
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Model Miranda Kerr in all white

Blake Lively appears at Gala hours after lawsuit settledpublished at 01:53 BST
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, Reuters
Blake Lively has been conspicuously absent from the Met Gala in recent years as she dealt with a sexual harassment lawsuit against her co-star and director in the 2024 film It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni.
News broke earlier today that they settled two weeks before their case was set to go to trial.
What better way to move on than to book it to the Met Gala in archival Versace from 2006, a simpler time for Lively, to be sure.
She completed the look with Lorraine Schwartz jewellery and a custom Judith Leiber bag decorated with artwork from her four children.
Fashion's biggest night wouldn't be complete without designerspublished at 01:51 BST
Image source, Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
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Designer Michael Kors posing with stars
Image source, Getty Images
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Donatella Versace and Alessandro Michele laughing together
Image source, Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
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Designer Tom Ford in a black suit
Image source, Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
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Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra at the gala
Image source, Getty Images
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Fashion designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough
Image source, Getty Images
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Tommy Hilfiger and Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger

A regal dress for the guest of honourpublished at 01:43 BST
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
The Costume Institute exhibition Costume Art concludes with the section the Epidermal body, so it was kismet that Beyoncé would shut the carpet down in a sequinned skeleton dress by Olivier Rousteing.
The no under-18s rule was apparently thwarted by the co-chairs, as 14-year-old Blue Ivy accompanied Bey alongside Jay-Z, while Nicole Kidman brought her 17-year-old model daughter Sunday Rose.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Beyoncé reflects on her first Met Gala in a decadepublished at 01:41 BST
Image source, Getty Images
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Beyoncé and Blue Ivy
Beyoncé just spoke to Vogue on the red carpet, saying her first Met Gala in 10 years feels particularly significant.
"It feels surreal because my daughter's here," she said of 14-year-old Blue Ivy Carter. "She looks so incredible.
She says she's looking forward to relaxing this evening and "experiencing this through the eyes of Blue."
It's also about celebrating all bodies, the singer said.
"Juicy, curvy, thin, tall, just celebrating whatever god gave you."

Queen Bey gets a royal welcomepublished at 01:33 BST
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from the Met Gala
Beyoncé, one of the gala's co-chairs, has arrived to a cheering crowd, wearing a sparkling skeletal dress, alongside her daughter Blue Ivy and husband Jay-Z.
I asked her how it feels to be back at the Met Gala, and she told me it feels great to be here with her daughter and husband.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Image source, Getty Images
Age is just a number for Gabrielle Unionpublished at 01:27 BST
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from the Met Gala
Image source, Reuters
Actor Gabrielle Union is wearing a form-fitting gown with an open back, which is bedazzled in rhinestones.
She said she wanted to show that a 50-year-old body was still hot!
Union also raved about the co-chairs today, saying they are the GOATs (greatest of all time). Beyoncé, Venus Williams and Nicole Kidman are co-chairing the event alongside Anna Wintour

Madonna sets sailpublished at 01:25 BST
Pop superstar Madonna has arrived, wearing a ship on her head.
She also has an entourage to fan out her grey train.
Image source, FilmMagic
Image source, Getty Images
Sight is optional tonight it seemspublished at 01:23 BST
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from the Met Gala
Actor Sarah Paulson just walked by with a dollar bill eye mask.
When we asked her what is signified, she simply said the “1 percent".
Hollywood star Rachel Zegler is also sporting a sheer, white eye covering.
Image source, Getty Images
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Actress Sarah Paulson
Image source, Getty Images
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Actress Rachel Zegler

Chase Infiniti brings the colourpublished at 01:22 BST
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, Getty Images
With her breakout role in Best Picture winner One Battle After Another, Chase Infiniti nabbed her spot on all the best dressed lists over awards season.
Met Monday is no different, shooting straight to the top in a colourful torso-patterned custom Thom Browne
Bad Bunny is here and he's... oldpublished at 01:19 BST
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from the Met Gala
Image source, Getty Images
We all almost missed Bad Bunny, who aged himself with a white wig, a cane and impressive face makeup!
The Grammy winner just chatted with Vogue about his old man costume.
"This day of the Met is the perfect day to explore and be creative," he said, adding that his outfit took "53 years" to put together.
Image source, Getty Images