Inside 2026 Met Gala: Behind-the-Scenes Moments You Didn't See

The 2026 Met Gala was a star-studded affair celebrating fashion's biggest night.

A-listers including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and more turned heads when they walked the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 4, and adhered to the "Costume Art" dress code.

Inside the event, celebrities mingled as they enjoyed a night out and smiled while posing for photos. Bradley Cooper, for his part, made a surprise appearance after opting not to walk the red carpet with girlfriend Gigi Hadid, who had given him a sweet shout-out earlier.

"I try to bring my mind to a happy place. What we do in our job is go to a happy place, think of happy thoughts and the smile comes through the eyes and it makes you come to life," she said during Vogue's red carpet livestream while discussing how she stays focused in front of the cameras.

The model shared that she thinks of her daughter, Khai, and then her "man." (Hadid welcomed her daughter with ex Zayn Malik in 2020.) "When I think about Khai, maybe I'm giving joy. And then I'll serve something else to Bradley for the camera," she said.

Scroll down to see more photos from inside the 2026 Met Gala:

Loved Up

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna walked hand-in-hand throughout the museum. The pair arrived fashionably late to the ball, with Rihanna wearing a crystalized turtleneck paired with a metallic skirt and A$AP Rocky opting for a tux with a baby pink coat.

Peekaboo

Olivia Wilde's jaw dropped as Katy Perry opened her futuristic mask to unveil her face while donning a white gown.

Hitting the Dance Floor

Tate McRae, Rosé and Connor Storrie danced their hearts out.

Darling Duet

Sabrina Carpenter and Stevie Nicks belted out a song while performing on stage. Earlier in the night, Carpenter rocked a custom Dior slit tulle dress by Jonathan Anderson, which featured a full body wrap of rhinestone film strips. Nicks, meanwhile, stunned in a custom Zara gown designed by John Galliano.

Strike a Pose

Bhavitha Mandava smiled as she took a bathroom selfie with the likes of Rosé, Gracie Abrams, Margot Robbie, Rachel Sennott and more. "Felt cute, might delete later #metgala," she captioned the Instagram snap.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 1:15 PM.