Met Gala theme 2026, red carpet live updates: Stars arrive in ‘costume art’ as biggest fashion event begins

Serena Williams has won a lot of hardware throughout her career so it’s not a stretch to see her turn up as a prize. She said Marc Jacobs was inspired by statues for her look.

Olympian Eileen Gu wore a bubble-covered dress with real bubbles floating behind her as she arrived.

Hailey Bieber is going for a superhero look. She stepped in a gold breastplate coupled with a flowing peacock blue chiffon skirt.

It’s a Kardashian-Jenner! Once shunned, the clan are now stalwarts of the Met Gala.

Kylie Jenner, sans Timmy, has sashayed in in a nude, sculptural Schiaparelli gown.

Supermodel Heidi Klum gets an A+ for effort as she arrived looking like a moving statue.

The star, known for wearing extravagant costume looks at her annual Halloween party, did not disappoint at the Met Gala.

Game of Thrones and Wednesday star Gwendoline Christie can always be relied on to bring a splash of colour and personality to the Met Gala red carpet and she did not disappoint.

Working with British designer Giles Deacon, Christie is an elaborate scarlet red gown with a feathered headpiece. But the most striking detail is the mask of her own face she’s carrying as an accessory. It was created by British artists Gillian Wearing.

Christie told Vogue, “What I love about it is that it isn’t just one thing, it’s not just the mask, it isn’t just a mirror, it’s so many thing. Is it a shield? Is it an expression?”.

Someone really went all in on the theme.

Olivia Wilde is here in an off-shoulder black Thom Browne gown with a white tulle train.

Wilde has a film coming out later this year called The Invite, which premiered at Sundance in January.

The stars of The Devil Wears Prada and the Met Gala have a closer connection than usual this year. You don’t get that movie without Vogue and Wintour.

Stanley Tucci showed up in a Blunt sandwich, with wife Felicity Blunt and co-star and sister-in-law Emily Blunt on each side.

Anne Hathaway is also there, in a plunging black-and-white gown. We’re on Meryl lookout.

Anna Wintour is, of course, the grande dame of the Met Gala, having overseen everything for three decades.

The event is a red carpet extravaganza and Wintour is also keen to point out its wider benefits to the city. It’s tempting to see her remarks as perhaps a veiled rebuke to Mayor Zohran Mamdani who broke with tradition to become the first New York City mayor to not attend in some years.

“What I think people love about tonight is not only is it great for fashion, and obviously a very important fundraiser for the Costume Institute.

“This is also incredibly important to the economic health of New York City itself. If you think about the hotels that we fill, and god knows how many hairdressers we give work to, and the drivers, it’s just a ripple effect.

“It’s not one night only. It’s a whole week of occasions. You have to remember how many tourists are watching the live stream and seeing you on the live stream and coming to New York City and to the Met.”

In speaking about the event’s co-hosts for the year, which controversially includes Lauren Sanchez Bezos – the Bezos’ involvement is a core point of the protests against the Gala this year – Wintour added, “They’re women that have been fearless in their careers.

“They’ve achieved so much, and they keep going. They go at a pace that’s unstoppable, and I’m so full of admiration for all of them.”

Russian model and actress Irina Shayk arrived in a daring look with a jewelled bra and low-rise skirt.

It looked part Cleopatra and part Princess Laya but drew gasps from the awaiting press.