Inside Met Gala 2026: All the Celebrity Photos & Candid Moments

Watch: Don’t Break These Met Gala Rules—Or You Won’t Be Invited Back

Wondering how you can score a last-minute invite to the Met Gala 2026? Well, wE!’ve got a backstage pass with your name on it.

Celebrate the first Monday in May by going behind the scenes of fashion’s biggest night—a.k.a. the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser—without even stepping foot in New York City. (See every star arrive on the Met Gala steps here.)

Thanks to celebrity guests like Cher and Rachel Sennott, fashion fans can peek inside the May 4 party co-chaired by the likes of Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Vogue‘s Anna Wintour through candid social media snaps (and even the occasional banned selfie).

Cher posted an adorable behind-the-scenes pic with fellow guest (and goddaughter) Jesse Jo Stark as they mixed and mingled inside the soiree. For this year’s theme of “Costume Art” and dress code “Fashion Is Art,” the “Believe” singer rocked a rocker-inspired black look and motorcycle jacket.

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Met Gala 2026 Fashion: See Every Celebrity Look

Meanwhile, Rachel—dressed in a pop art-inspired Marc Jacobs look—showed fans what it’s really like prepping for fashion’s biggest night with the help of her glam team and assistants.

Then there’s Keke Palmer and Connor Storrie, who fanned out over each other after meeting up inside the swanky soiree. The Burbs actress and Heated Rivalry star flashed gigantic smiles as they hugged among the crowd.

And while stars are now free to snap as many selfies as they want without the fear of punishment, it hasn’t always been that way.

In 2015, a “no social media” policy was implemented, prohibiting guests from turning the chic affair into a content-creating frenzy.

Instagram/Rachel Sennott

“Anna is sort of an old-school traditionalist,” former Vogue staffer Sylvana Ward Durrett explained to the New York Post in 2016 of the policy. “She likes a dinner party where people are actually speaking to each other.”

That means guests should not be glued to their phones all night.

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“We aren’t sitting over people’s shoulders,” Sylvana added, “but if it’s an obvious thing, we might gently remind them.”

However, in recent years, the “no selfie” rule has become much more lax, allowing celebs to document their A-list run-ins from inside the exclusive dinner and costume exhibit. So, what antics are stars getting into this year?

Keep reading to see all the BTS photos from inside the 2026 Met Gala…