A-listers were once clamoring to get their hands on an invite.
But after this year’s Met Gala, some feel that the event has become a ‘dystopian’ parade of billionaires and influencers.
Every year, stars descend upon the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City wearing extravagant designer looks, as millions across the globe dissect their ensembles online.
Hosted by former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who is known for being meticulous about the guest list, decorum and pretty much every detail of the night, it has earned a reputation for being the top event among Hollywood and fashion’s elite.
But this year, the event has become shrouded in scandal, with many expressing their outrage even before it began over the involvement of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, 62, and his wife Lauren Sanchez, 56, who bankrolled much of the event.
And when the ball kicked off on Monday evening, devastated fans took to social media to blast this year’s Met Gala, branding it as the ‘worst’ one ever, slamming the ‘cheap’ outfits and sharing their outrage over the ‘tacky’ guest list.
The event was noticeably missing many big names who had become Met Gala regulars, such as Zendaya and Billie Eilish, and instead, was attended by an array of social media stars, WAGs, models and heiresses.
Plenty of the stars who did show up got it spectacularly wrong, turning the red carpet into a parade of sartorial disasters and outright fashion flops.
The 2026 Met Gala took place in New York City on Monday evening, but devastated fans took to social media afterward to blast it, branding it as the ‘worst’ one ever, slamming the ‘cheap’ outfits and sharing their outrage over the ‘tacky’ guest list. Above, Kylie Jenner at the event
Some people feel that the event has now become a ‘dystopian’ parade of billionaires and influencers. Billionaire George Soros’s son, Robert Soros, at the event with his wife, Jamie Singer Soros
Famous faces at this year’s event included Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Sabrina Carpenter, Blake Lively, Zoe Kravitz, Hailey Bieber, Beyonce, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, Heidi Klum and Katy Perry.
But it seemed there were more Z-list celebrities than A-list, as other attendees included Cristiano Ronaldo’s model fiancee Georgina Rodriguez, influencer Grace Ann Nader – her older sister, Sports Illustrated model Brooks Nader was absent – and Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng’s heiress daughters, Grace and Chloe.
And there was no shortage of billionaires at the event, with the guest list including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, heiress Isha Ambani, George Soros’s sons Alex Soros and Robert Soros, Walmart heir Samuel Robson Walton and venture capitalist and author Amy Griffin.
Fans were quick to criticize this year’s turnout on X, branding the event ‘tacky,’ ‘out of touch’ and a ‘billionaire’s ball’ and claiming that it felt ‘gross,’ ‘gauche’ and ‘dystopian’.
‘Ah, the Met Gala, the chance for multi-millionaires to wear my life savings for a bit of fun and get attention. F**k the Met Gala,’ one X user raged afterward.
‘The Met Gala is just a bunch of washed-up celebrities and out-of-touch millionaires cosplaying as “edgy” while wearing $50k dresses made by people who can’t afford rent,’ slammed another.
‘Meanwhile, real Americans are grinding, watching prices explode and dealing with actual problems. I’d rather watch paint dry than pretend these clowns are relevant. Hard pass.’
‘The Met Gala stopped being an aspirational event and became a circus for millionaires,’ claimed someone else.
The event was noticeably missing many big names who had become be Met Gala regulars, and instead, was attended by an array of social media stars, WAGs, models and heiresses. Above, influencer Grace Ann Nader at the event
It seemed there were more Z-list celebrities than there were A-list at the event. Huma Abedin and Alex Soros, left, and Walmart heir Samuel Robson Walton and his wife Jordan Rose Walton
Cristiano Ronaldo’s model fiancee, Georgina Rodriguez, wearing a pale blue dress at the gala
Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng’s heiress daughters Grace and Chloe were also in attendance
Other attendees included billionaire Isha Ambani, left, and venture capitalist and author Amy Griffin
‘Ever since the Met Gala allowed TikTokers, influencers and K-Pop idols to be part of it, the event has become cheaper, nothing like the Mets when those people didn’t attend.’
‘Met Gala and the people eating it up are losers… People can’t afford to eat but yes let’s care about some billionaires and what they are wearing for a night,’ read a fourth post.
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A fifth said: ‘Nothing says “Fashion Is Art” quite like billionaires buying honorary titles while the rest of us check gas prices.
‘At this point, the most avant-garde thing anyone could wear to the Met Gala is a “Closed for Renovation” sign. It’s time to retire this $100,000 costume party.’
A different user compared it to The Hunger Games, writing: ‘It’s just like in The Hunger Games – everyone else is starving while they’re in the Capitol, they’re dressing up all “fancy.”‘
‘The Met Gala: Where “fashion” goes to die and billionaires pretend they have souls. Every first Monday in May, the world’s most overrated charity cosplay event rolls out the blood-red carpet for a bunch of multimillionaires to LARP as avant-garde artists while the rest of us watch from our couches like it’s the world’s most expensive train wreck,’ another person sarcastically posted.
‘This isn’t a gala, it’s a hostage situation where good taste is held ransom by egomaniacs in tinfoil and feathers.’
Some celebrities certainly had bizarre interpretations of this year’s dress code, Fashion is Art, and many stars opted for outrageous flesh-baring outfits, like Irina Shayk (left) and Gigi Hadid
Sarah Paulson wore a dramatic, gray tulle dress with a dramatic bow at the neckline. She accessorized with a dollar bill around her eyes, apparently suggesting that we are blinded by money
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos were the lead sponsors of this year’s Met Gala and also served as honorary co-chairs – a move that garnered immense criticism ahead of the gala
Some celebrities certainly had bizarre interpretations of this year’s dress code, Fashion is Art, which served as a more specific baseline for guests against the gala’s overall theme of Costume Art.
Many stars opted for outrageous flesh-baring outfits, while some, such as Sarah Paulson, even tried to make their looks a statement in social commentary.
Paulson wore a dramatic, gray tulle dress with a dramatic bow at the neckline. She accessorized with a dollar bill around her eyes, apparently suggesting that we are blinded by money.
It was an odd choice given the scrutiny surrounding the event, and many felt it was a tone-deaf move for her to make such a critique at an event that is only accessible to rich elites.
This year’s gala was also monumental because it marked the first since Wintour took on a new role as Vogue’s global creative director and chief content officer for Conde Nast.
All eyes were on her successor, Chloe Malle, who took over as head of editorial content for US Vogue last year, but the magazine mogul appeared to have quite the lonely evening.
Malle arrived solo on the red carpet early in the night wearing a marigold-orange chiffon gown by New York designer Colleen Allen, which she paired with Old-Hollywood style curls and a silver charm necklace by Fred Leighton jewelry.
She and Wintour notably did not pose for any photos together, and the two Vogue stars were not seen interacting much on the red carpet.
Sanchez and Bezos were the lead sponsors of this year’s Met Gala and also served as honorary co-chairs – a move that garnered immense criticism ahead of the gala.
Just hours before it kicked off, the event was hit with a particularly revolting protest as staff discovered bottles of ‘urine’ inside the venue.
Amazon billionaire Bezos notably skipped the red carpet after allegedly paying $10 million to co-chair, while his wife, Sanchez, showed off a particularly taut complexion, sparking a wave of plastic surgery rumors
All eyes were on Wintour’s successor Chloe Malle, who took over as head of editorial content for US Vogue last year, but the magazine mogul appeared to have quite the lonely evening
She and Wintour (above) notably did not pose for any photos together and the two Vogue stars were not seen interacting much on the red carpet
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Hundreds of containers of yellow liquid are believed to have been hidden throughout the Metropolitan Museum of Art, next to priceless artifacts.
Baskets containing plastic water bottles were also installed outside the museum, urging passersby to urinate in them.
Above the stash, a sign read: ‘The Met Gala VIP toilet. Installed in honor of Met Gala chair Jeff Bezos. Go ahead, it’s good enough for his staff.’
The stunt was employed in a bid to draw attention to Amazon’s treatment of its workers.
Everyone Hates Elon, the campaign group behind the stunt, claims employees at Bezos’s corporation have been forced to urinate in bottles because they are not allowed time to take toilet breaks.
A fashion industry insider told the Daily Mail ahead of the event that the Bezoses being a part of it ‘felt like a real slap in the face to a lot of people.’
‘It’s, quite frankly, very hurtful and very disturbing for [the Bezoses] to be the face of this year’s Met Gala, something that is really meaningful to a lot of people and to such a highly regarded and highly respected institution,’ the source said.
Amazon billionaire Bezos notably skipped the red carpet after allegedly paying $10 million to co-chair, while his wife Sanchez showed off a particularly taut complexion, sparking a wave of plastic surgery rumors. The couple reunited inside, however, where they posed for cameras and kissed.
