If you thought the Met Gala 2026 was over because the red carpet was done, we have news for you, because it’s officially time for the Met Gala after-party looks.

Every year, after the fashion elite gather at the Met Museum and enjoy the gala, they then disperse all over Manhattan to attend the various after parties in honor of fashion’s biggest night. This year, we’ve also gotten plenty of additional looks at pre-Met Gala parties, from Vogue’s own to Colman Domingo’s, Teyana Taylor’s, and more; and the streak kept on going for a little while.

Once the formal event is over, attendees usually change from theatrical red carpet into edgier, party-friendly looks that sometimes rival their main counterparts and often go all the way to risqué. Some notable Met Gala after-party looks from recent years include Hailey Bieber’s crystal bra top and Addison Rae’s sheer black dress from Dilara Fındıkoğlu in 2022, Kendall Jenner’s thong-out Chanel one-piece in 2023, and McQueen-era Givenchy couture angel dress in 2024, as well as PinkPantheress’ sheer plaid dream from Macy Grimshaw and Zendaya’s vintage red number from Patrick Kelly in 2025.

The Met Gala 2026 red carpet already gave us plenty of memorable looks. Billie Eilish once again skipped, and Zendaya was ultimately also absent after a two-year run, but a bunch of our faves attended for the first time—including Blue Ivy, who, after much speculation, finally graced the carpet alongside Beyoncé, one of this year’s co-chairs.

The red carpet might have been busy, but celebs were just getting started. The first stars to depart for the Met Gala after-parties this year did so from The Surrey Hotel, which also housed celebs getting ready for the event earlier in the day. including Sarah Pidgeon, Hailey Bieber, and Kendall Jenner, among others.

As mentioned above, Met Gala after parties take place all over the city, from The Mark, The Carlyle, and Maxime’s on the Upper East Side to the Meatpacking district (namely, inside The Standard’s Boom Boom Room, where Grace Gummer, Gabriela Hearst, and Yola Mezcal hosted this year) and Chelsea, where Venus Williams took over the Amber Room. Beyoncé and Jay Z also had their own Met Gala after-party, per Rihanna, and so did GQ at The Twenty Two in Union Square.

One of the most anticipated parties of the night was Saint Laurent’s, seeing as the brand served as one of this year’s sponsors, with Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz named co-chairs of the Gala Host Committee. Ambassadors and friends of the brand also include Rosé, Charli XCX, Connor Storrie, and more, who all made the trek to People’s Bar in Chelsea after the event. Not to mention, the guest lists for the after parties are not as tight as the actual Met Gala, so if your fave was not on the carpet, they might have still made it to a party, like Olivia Rodrigo.

As the Ball attendees and more made their way from the Met to the after parties, we rounded up the best Met Gala after-party looks of 2026 here. (Who knows? Maybe your favorite look of the night was not even on the red carpet!)

Connor Storrie

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