The ‘first Monday in May’ has officially been and gone. The 2026 Met Gala—theme: Costume Art—took place on Monday, May 4, and naturally drew a constellation of stars and fashion power players from across different industries and creative worlds.
The red carpet, as it does, teemed with big names and revelations. Beyoncé, a co-chair of the event, made her first appearance in a decade, attending with daughter Blue Ivy, a debut Met attendee. First-timers also staked their claim on the Met red carpet, including Chase Infiniti, Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, and Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon. Stevie Nicks, rather unbelievably, became a first-time Met attendee and wore John Galliano’s buzzed-about Zara collection to mark the occasion. Nicole Kidman, a co-chair and longtime friend of the Met, brought her daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, for a mother-daughter moment (in Chanel and Dior, as you do).
More on the 2026 Met Gala
But a notable slew of stars also took the year off. Among the names that missed the event were Zendaya, Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish, who skipped due to either scheduling arrangements or perhaps the need to recalibrate so they can return in 2027 with a bang.
Keep reading for 18 A-list celebrities who didn’t attend the Met Gala this year, and potential reasons why.