Stars go all-out in 2026 Met Gala fashion extravaganza - but some 'boycott' it after Jeff Bezos takeover
An anonymous masked singer made a surprise appearance at fashion’s biggest night
A masked singer returned to the Met Gala red carpet for the first time in four years and Beyonce arrived as stars showed off their outfits, with many making a pointed critique of Jeff Bezos' patronage of the star-studded event.
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Singer Katy Perry failed to appear on several reported guest lists, but she still made an appearance donning a silver mask. It is her first time at the Met Gala in four years.
This year's theme was "Costume Art", with the dress code for the celebrity guests described as "fashion is art".
Beyonce was joined by her 14-year-old daughter as she walked the red carpet at the Met Gala for the first time in a decade. The singer's husband, Jay-Z, also appeared at the year's biggest night in fashion.
Nicole Kidman also arrived with daughter Sunday Rose, both donning floral arrangements. "She'll be in school by 8am, so we're keeping it real," Kidman said.
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Irish write and activist Sinead Burke also revealed how this year's Gala was accessible.
"For the first time, we have made the Met Gala accessible. In thinking about the Met Gala, it is a symbol of steps, which for so many with physical disabilities is a symbol of inaccessibility.
"Tonight, for the first time, those with physical disabilities will be able to have fairer access to the Met Gala, and really what that means is that this is an explicit and radical invitation for disabled people to see themselves in fashion."
Jeff Bezos' patronage of the event was also a source of controversy. He and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary co-chairs and lead donors of the 2026 Met Gala.
Activist group Everyone Hates Elon placed hundreds of bottles of urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art to protest billionaire Jeff Bezo’s treatment of Amazon workers and support of controversial immigration raids in the US.
"Tax the rich" anti-billionaire protesters also set up outside the event.
Anna Wintour biographer Amy Odell suggested on Monday that Meryl Streep turned down her Gala invitation over her opposition to Bezos’s involvement, with the actress known as an outspoken Democrat and critic of Donald Trump.
The fashion world was stunned as usual suspects failed to show, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Lizzo.
Timothée Chalamet also skipped the gala in favour of his usual courtside seat at the New York Knicks.
A message urging stars to boycott the event was also projected onto the Bezos' New York penthouse on Sunday.
British singer Sam Smith wowed viewers in a massive black feathered headpiece, and hit singer Charli XCX also stuck to the black theme with a more stripped-back ball gown.