Corsages and tuxes, limos and line dances, selfies and lip-sync videos: Each generation brings its own style and meaning to that all-American rite of passage, the prom.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s prom-goers, who spent some of their most formative years in lockdown and have never known a world without social media or smartphones, are reinventing the food, themes, clothes and even the choice of a date. Is one too few? Do you even need one? Yet some traditions persist \u2014 the flowers, the fancy clothes, the mix of nostalgia and anticipation for what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n
Here are five proms from around the country that tell the story of Prom Night 2026.<\/p>\n
San Jose, Calif.<\/p>\n
Krishna Ganesan, a senior at Silver Creek High School, made all kinds of plans: costumes, brunch, bouquets, Vietnamese food. Not all of it went as expected.<\/p>\n
Photographs by Molly DeCoudreaux for The New York Times<\/p>\n
How did the day begin? \u201cI got up at 7 a.m., just because of the excitement,\u201d Krishna said, and because she wanted to get to the flower shop early to buy bouquets to match the colors \u2014 bright pink, black and blue \u2014 of her and her friends\u2019 dresses. \u201cI wanted our bouquets to reflect our personalities,\u201d she said. She also invited her three friends to a 10 a.m. brunch, which included French toast, crepes, a charcuterie board and sliced Champagne mangoes.<\/p>\n
When did the friends actually arrive? 1 p.m. But she wasn\u2019t annoyed. \u201cMy whole thing was, \u2018I am going to be zen today.\u2019 Prom is supposed to be a no-stress, happy memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Did you take a date? I have always felt a weird feeling about school dances and this pressure to bring a romantic partner as your date,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cBut I was raised by a mom who was like, \u2018Go against the status quo. You have nothing to be afraid of.\u2019 \u201d So Krishna took her friend Crystal Truong, who graduated last year.<\/p>\n
Where was dinner? The Vietnamese restaurant New Hoa Dang, which is vegetarian. (Krishna is a vegan.) The group was running late, but still had time to order all their favorites, including summer rolls and popcorn soy-based \u201cchicken.\u201d<\/p>\n
What did you wear? The plan was for the group to dress up as characters from the animated series \u201cWinx Club.\u201d But then everyone decided they wanted to wear classic prom dresses, all slits, sparkles and beads. Krishna bought her fuchsia dress at a vintage store and paired it with a coral scarf.<\/p>\n
What happened at prom? The theme was \u201cGolden Affair,\u201d with casino-inspired decorations like aces, diamonds and hearts. There were stations where students could make a short video and have it turned into a printed flipbook, and another where they could take Polaroid pictures and make commemorative booklets. A prom king and queen were crowned.<\/p>\n
How was the music? \u201cThere was a lot of \u2018Fe!n,\u2019\u201d Krishna said, referring to the hip-hop track by Travis Scott. \u201cIt is the most abrasive song I have ever heard, but it makes boys my age go feral.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any surprises? Toward the end of the night, a drone show unaffiliated with the prom lit up the sky, to students\u2019 delight. \u201cIt was mimicking stars and star patterns, which I thought was really interesting,\u201d said Krishna. \u201cIn cities, we don\u2019t really get to see the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicago<\/p>\n
For Josephine Singleton, a senior at Kenwood Academy High School, the night\u2019s highlight was her prom walkout, a grand reveal of her dress for about 30 friends and family \u2014 complete with themed snacks, music and prayer.<\/p>\n
Photographs by Lucy Hewett for The New York Times<\/p>\n
How did the walkout go? Everyone waited outside, where Josephine had set up a white backdrop in the driveway, and a green walkway to make her entrance. \u201cI came down the stairs and went out the front door and stood in front of the backdrop,\u201d she said. \u201cMy walkout song was \u2018Do It Like You\u2019 by Diggy.\u201d<\/p>\n
What were you wearing? To match the green color scheme of the pre-prom party, Josephine wore a strapless emerald-green dress with a corset top and lots of sparkle.<\/p>\n
What kind of food was served? Any snack that came in green packaging: Lay\u2019s sour cream and onion potato chips, Sprite, Canada Dry soda and green grapes, all served on a green tablecloth. Terrance Randolph, the husband of Josephine\u2019s godmother, runs a catering company, and brought turkey and chicken sandwiches (though they weren\u2019t green).<\/p>\n
Was there a date involved? \u201cI considered going by myself because I was stressed out about having a date,\u201d Josephine said. She decided to ask a childhood friend, Maurice Thompson, who attends a different school. He wore a custom black suit with sparkles across the jacket \u201cto accentuate my green dress,\u201d she said. Her mother led everyone in a prayer to keep the two safe and happy.<\/p>\n
Did you eat a proper dinner? Amid the chaos of getting ready, Josephine wasn\u2019t able to enjoy the spread she put out. \u201cMaurice\u2019s mom gave me a bag of fruit before we left,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
How was the dance? The theme was \u201cHollywood Glam,\u201d with a red carpet and gold stanchions leading the way to a rooftop. Josephine found her friends, took photos and danced to Drake, Future and Katy Perry. \u201cI spent most of my night just walking around,\u201d she said. \u201cMy feet hurt a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
How did the evening end? \u201cI got McDonald\u2019s\u201d \u2014 a crispy chicken sandwich with French fries and a Sprite \u2014 \u201cand went to bed,\u201d Josephine said. \u201cI fell asleep in my makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cincinnati<\/p>\n
Lily Blocksom, a junior at the Seven Hills School, knew her friends were picky eaters. So she hosted dinner for 11 at home, with a menu that would have universal appeal: Mexican food, all prepared by her mother.<\/p>\n
Photographs by Amy Powell for The New York Times<\/p>\n
Date or no date? \u201cWe were all going to go with dates at first,\u201d Lily said, \u201cbut then nobody else in our grade seemed to be doing that, and it\u2019s a hassle to find a date. I was like, \u2018OK, let\u2019s do a girl dinner.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
What did you eat? Lily\u2019s mom, Angie, spent the day cooking the spread, which included street corn dip, a taco bar and a strawberry tres leches cake in parfait form. Lily\u2019s grandmother, Gail, set the table with glittery napkin holders, colorful flowers and candles.<\/p>\n
What did you wear? A pleated blue dress from Rent the Runway. \u201cIt made my hair look super-blond.\u201d Before she left for the dance, Lily filmed a video of herself lip-syncing to the Bobby Vinton song \u201cBlue Velvet\u201d to post on TikTok.<\/p>\n
How was the dance? The theme was \u201cA Night in Paris,\u201d though the decorations \u2014 which included projections of her school\u2019s name and polka dots on the walls \u2014 didn\u2019t feel particularly Parisian. But it was the company that made the night special, Lily said. \u201cMy two best friends had never gone to a dance before, so it was a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any surprises? \u201cProbably when my dad came to my house. My parents are divorced, so I didn\u2019t think he was coming. But he said, \u2018You look super beautiful,\u2019 and it was really sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n
How late did it go? A classmate hosted an after-party in a barn that went until the wee hours, and Lily slept at her friend\u2019s house. But the celebrations weren\u2019t over yet. A friend\u2019s cousin had her first Communion the next day, so Lily borrowed a checkered dress and went along. \u201cI was dead,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it was cute.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huntsville, Ala.<\/p>\n
Layla Ramay, a senior at Grissom High School, spent the big night alongside her best friend as they ate sushi, danced to \u201990s music and reminisced about growing up during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Photographs by Diana King for The New York Times<\/p>\n
Who was your date? Layla\u2019s best friend, Gracie Queen, who attends an online school. They met in sixth grade around 2020, just as the pandemic began. The friendship blossomed online, through lockdowns and remote classes. \u201cWe both draw, and we both do a lot of creative things,\u201d Layla said.<\/p>\n
What did you wear? Layla wore a sparkly purple dress that she bought on the clothing resale website Depop, and strappy sandals adorned with silver butterflies and matching butterfly ear cuffs. To save money, Layla\u2019s stepmother did her hair and nails. Gracie wore a cream-colored floral gown with sequins, and pendants of silver and gold.<\/p>\n
Where did you eat? Rock N\u2019 Roll Sushi, which has creative rolls and music-themed decorations. \u201cWe both love sushi,\u201d Layla said, \u201cand this was a place that isn\u2019t too casual but not too fancy, either. We knew places like steakhouses would be pretty packed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Take any good pictures? \u201cWe ended up stopping at a creek in front of my school and taking some photos there. It was beginning to rain, but that led to a fun moment because as we were leaving that creek area, Gracie\u2019s mom spotted a rainbow in front of my school. So we stopped to get photos.\u201d<\/p>\n
How was the prom? Layla and Gracie showed up at the event space fashionably early, at 6:30 p.m. The doors opened at 7, which gave them a first glimpse of the theme, \u201cMoonlit Grove.\u201d \u201cThere were a lot of moons and stars, and cherry blossom trees that we took photos in front of,\u201d Layla said. \u201cIt was very fantastical.\u201d<\/p>\n
What did the D.J. play? \u201cHot to Go\u201d by Chappell Roan was one of the first and last tracks. Several songs reminded Layla of her childhood: \u201cCha Cha Slide,\u201d \u201cY.M.C.A.\u201d and a \u201990s throwback, \u201cMacarena.\u201d<\/p>\n
How did you feel? \u201cWe were talking about how crazy it was that this was our senior year and we were almost done and we had been friends throughout all of it \u2014 through Covid. I had moved three times since we became friends, and we were still making it work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leonia, N.J.<\/p>\n
For Mina Kim, a senior at Leonia High School, the prom was run more like a wedding, with photo booths, a sit-down meal and a formal \u201cprom-posal\u201d from her date.<\/p>\n
Photographs by Shuran Huang for The New York Times<\/p>\n
What was the prom-posal? Mina and one of her best friends, Joshua Yoo, had already agreed to go together. But the day before prom, he showed up at her house with a sign. \u201cI play the cello,\u201d she said, \u201cso he put, \u2018Cello there, it would Mina lot if you went to prom with me\u2019 on a poster.\u201d<\/p>\n
How did prom day start? It was a Thursday, so everyone went to school in the morning. Those attending the dance were dismissed around lunchtime. Mina went to her friend\u2019s house, where she put on the red halter-top dress she had ordered online a few days before. They met up with their group under the George Washington Bridge to take photos with the Hudson River in the background.<\/p>\n
What happened then? Mina and her friends and their dates headed back to school for a pre-prom event in the gym. \u201cThere was a big opening and a red carpet, and you walk through it with your date and there are different backdrops and picture stations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Was there a theme? \u201cI remember a lot of greenery and vines and flowers in the background,\u201d Mina said. \u201cMaybe \u2018Enchanted Garden?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
Where was dinner? At the dance. After the pre-prom event, the students were bused to prom, where a tapas station of dumplings, mini-hamburgers and fries awaited. Mina and her friends sat at a table for dinner: \u201cChicken and steak stacked on top of each other with mashed potatoes and greens. It wasn\u2019t my favorite, but it was edible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Did you take pictures? \u201cAs high schoolers, we do a lot of TikTok prom transitions,\u201d Mina said, referring to a video trend in which students shift from regular clothes to prom outfits. \u201cAt one point, everyone was outside the ballroom finishing their transitions. It\u2019s the Gen Z in us, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
What was the last song? \u201cBeauty and the Beat\u201d by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. \u201cThere was a lot of Justin Bieber,\u201d Mina said.<\/p>\n
How did the evening end? Because everyone was required to take the same chartered bus to and from prom, they all left together at midnight. \u201cIt was a pretty good night,\u201d she said, \u201ceven though my social battery was pretty drained by the end.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Corsages and tuxes, limos and line dances, selfies and lip-sync videos: Each generation brings its own style and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":261486,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[86663,9,11,10,101560,3467],"class_list":["post-261485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-generation-z","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-proms","tag-vis-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}