As the Met Gala 2026 once again stood tall as a night of extravagant creativity and artistic spectacle, one tradition quietly returned to steal its own share of attention, the iconic bathroom selfie. And while this year’s gala unfolded like a living canvas of “Costume Art,” with every look dripping in theatrical detail, the bathroom snapshots too quickly began swirling through headlines, proving that some of the night’s most viral moments happen far away from the main carpet.

This year’s now-viral bathroom selfie arrived courtesy of Bhavitha Mandava and Awar Odhiang, who shared glimpses straight from the Met Gala 2026 bathroom featuring names like Rosé, Gracie Abrams, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, Margot Robbie, Audrey Nuna, and Rachel Sennott, among others. Packed with chaotic glamor and candid energy, the photos instantly became one of the internet’s favourite moments from the night.

While phones are technically banned inside the Met Gala, the bathroom selfie tradition has become far too iconic for anyone to truly stop it. Back in 2024, Anna Wintour explained the rule while speaking to Jenna Bush Hager, noting that the idea was to encourage guests to enjoy conversations and moments beyond their screens, though the bathroom, it seems, continues to remain fashion’s favourite loophole.

At this point, it almost feels as though the bathroom mirror selfie carries a fandom of its own, standing nearly as anticipated as the red carpet walk itself. Meanwhile, earlier in 2025, Questlove, Laura Harrier, and Jaden Smith turned the now-iconic mirror selfies into another viral Met Gala moment, further cementing the tradition’s cult status inside the Met Gala.Select 68 more words to run Humanizer.

While this year’s theme delivered some truly eye-popping fashion moments, the Met Gala 2026 performances too carved out their own spotlight through the night’s spectacle.

Met Gala 2026 appearances that lit up the night

Beyond the dazzling couture and endless celebrity sightings, the Met Gala 2026 once again closed the night with one of its most exclusive traditions, a surprise performance hidden away from the public eye. Following past years that welcomed names like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Stevie Wonder, and Usher, this year the spotlight belonged to Sabrina Carpenter, who took over the stage in a dramatic Versace gown covered with images of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

Backed by a live orchestra and band, Carpenter reportedly performed hits like ‘Espresso’, ‘Please Please Please’, and ‘House Tour’ before the night unfolded into an even bigger surprise. Later, Sabrina Carpenter welcomed Stevie Nicks onto the stage for duet performances of ‘Landslide’ and ‘Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow,’ before Nicks took over with solo renditions of ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Edge of Seventeen’, transforming the gala into a full-blown musical spectacle by the end of the night.

How did you like this year’s Met Gala bathroom selfie post? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Lisa Roy

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui