Beyoncé dazzles in crystal-studded skeleton-inspired gown at 2026 Met Gala

Beyoncé made a triumphant return at the 2026 Met Gala on Monday night.

The music superstar walked the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City with her husband, Jay-Z, and their eldest daughter, 14-year-old Blue Ivy Carter.

This year's event had the theme of Costume Art, with the dress code of "fashion is art".

Stopping to pose for photographers, Beyoncé dazzled in a crystal-studded silver Olivier Rousteing gown with skeleton motif.

She accessorised with a matching headpiece and feathered cape.

"It feels surreal because my daughter is here," the 44-year-old told reporters on the red carpet. "She looks so beautiful. It's incredible to be able to share it with her, and I think she looks incredible."

Hip-hop mogul Jay opted for a classic Louis Vuitton tuxedo, while Blue made her Met Gala debut in a white Balenciaga dress with a bubble hemline and sparkly heels.

The bash marked Beyoncé's first time back at the Met Gala since 2016, when she wore a nude Givenchy gown for the Manus x Machina-themed ball.

At this year's gala, which raises funds for the Costume Institute, the Formation hitmaker served as a co-chair alongside Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams.

Other celebrities to make a splash on the red carpet included Kim Kardashian, who wore a dark gold fiberglass breastplate crafted by British pop artist Allen Jones and a leather skirt designed by Patrick Whitaker and Keir Malem of Whitaker Malem.

Meanwhile, Rihanna wowed in a custom silver Maison Margiela look, Cardi B made a sartorial statement in a black lace number with puffed sleeves by Marc Jacobs, and Anne Hathaway sported a Michael Kors Collection dress.

The monochromatic gown was hand-painted by artist Peter McGough and inspired by Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats.

"We loved collaborating with Anne to tell a story that is as old as time: a wish for peace, beauty, and harmony," the designer told Vogue.

Elsewhere, Madonna turned heads in a black lace Saint Laurent gown with a grey veil and ship-inspired headpiece influenced by Leonora Carrington's painting, The Temptation Of St. Anthony. Fragment II.

And Blake Lively - who settled her lawsuit with It Ends with Us director Justin Baldoni just hours earlier - opted for a pastel moment in an archival Versace piece from spring 2006, which featured a dramatic train.