Met Gala 2026: Venus Williams, Alysa Liu and Lindsey Vonn among Olympians to hit the red carpet

While there was a disappointing lack of Star Wars-themed dresses and tuxedos on the “May the fourth” – a day annually marked by fans in a nod to the popular sci-fi franchise – there certainly wasn’t a lack of athletic talent at the Met Gala 2026.

Held annually to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, it has become one of the biggest events in fashion, with many celebrities, athletes and cultural icons donning their finest to celebrate the artform on the red carpet.

And that’s exactly what this year’s glitzy soiree was all about, as the theme of "Costume Art" took centre stage around the dress code loosely based on the statement: "fashion is art."

Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka seemed to nail the assignment, appearing in an eye-catching white gown – that eventually gave way to a red dress underneath – complete with a wide-brimed hat, feathers, gloves and some red nail polish.

While she stole the show on the red carpet, fellow tennis star Venus Williams was busy co-chairing the evening with music icon Beyoncé, actress Nicole Kidman and fashion icon Anna Wintour.

The four-time Olympic champion came dressed to impress in a black gown inspired by her own portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC – complete with a neck piece reminiscent of Wimbledon’s “Venue Rosewater dish” trophy.

“I’m following in great shoes behind Serena,” she told Vogue of co-chairing the annual celebration of fashion. “It’s been fantastic. It’s been great to have my husband (Andrea Preti) here. We’re riding this wave.”

Red proved to be a popular choice for those looking to create a splash amongst the sea of fabric, diamonds and statements, with Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 figure skating gold medallist Alysa Liu donning the striking colour in a mesmerizing dress.

The 20-year-old star of Milano Cortina 2026 was joined on the red carpet by fellow Winter Olympians Eileen Gu and Lindsey Vonn – who disposed of her crutches for the first time in nearly three months since her horror crash at Milano Cortina 2026.

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