Prior to 2026, what happened beyond the red carpet and inside the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Met Gala night was one of fashion’s great mysteries.
Despite being hailed as one of the biggest events in the fashion calendar, the first Monday of May has been shrouded in the kind of secrecy that comes with the exclusivity of an A-list event whose guest list is carefully guarded by Anna Wintour herself.
Minor details have emerged over the years. The documentary The First Monday in May confirmed that the Met Gala seating chart is planned and approved by Wintour herself along with the order of the evening: guests are given time to mingle and enjoy a cocktail hour before moving on to a sit-down dinner.
We also learned, thanks to former Director of Special Projects at Vogue Sylvana Ward Durett, that couples are strictly not permitted to sit together. “Never seat spouses next to each other. The whole point of these things is to meet new people and to be interested in what others are doing. What’s the point if you come here to hang out with your husband?” Durett remarked.
And who can forget the famous group selfies and shots of celebrities smoking in the bathrooms? The now-iconic photos were long the only evidence of what goes on beyond The Met steps. But in 2026, that has all changed.
Official images have begun emerging from inside the event and they are a stark mix of art, culture and celebrity intrigue.
In one moment we have Sabrina Carpenter and Kylie Jenner admiring the Costume Institute’s new exhibition; in another, we see Zoë Kravitz whispering with Gracie Abrams and Lily-Rose Depp, and Connor Storrie dancing the night away with Tate McRae and Rosé. We can also see Sabrina Carpenter and Stevie Nicks taking to the stage to duet as did the evening’s co-chairs Nicole Kidman, Beyonce and Venus Williams.
It’s a fascinating and tantalising insight into the Met Gala’s inner world — one we frankly never expected to be privy to, but are ever so thankful we are. Take a peek, below.
What Happened Inside The 2026 Met Gala
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