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Met Gala 2026: Beyoncé's 2003 Fashion Reference Sparks Act III Theory
Beyoncé almost couldn't handle this.
The 44-year-old got emotional when watching Stevie Nicks perform inside the annual event, playfully riling up her eldest daughter Blue Ivy Carter, 14, for effect. The quick exchange was witnessed by Hugh Jackman, who was seated near the “Formation” singer alongside his date Sutton Foster.
“Stevie Nicks came out and sang,” he recalled of the gala while appearing on the May 6 episode of Today. “And I’m gonna do some more name dropping, but there was Beyoncé and Rihanna. And I look over and Beyoncé was just hitting her daughter who was there.”
“And just her tears in her eyes,” Hugh continued, admiring the Met Gala co-chair. “I was like that moment right there, that is priceless.”
Indeed, Beyoncé and Stevie go way back, with the former sampling Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” for Destiny’s Child’s track “Bootylicious” in 2001. The Fleetwood Mac alum appeared in the music video for the song alongside the girl group, which also included Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
In fact, the Cowboy Carter artist—who is also mom to Sir and Rumi, both 8, with husband Jay-Z—recently posted a behind-the-scenes interview with Nicks on the set of the “Bootylicious” music video to her website.
In the clip taken from an Entertainment Tonight segment from 2001, Stevie noted at the time, “I just think it was so fated so for some reason we were definitely meant to make a connection.”
Meanwhile, Beyoncé shared her appreciation for the rock icon, “When I heard the sample of the track, I was like, ‘You know what? It would be really hot if she could actually be in the video.’ None of us really thought it would ever happen.”
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While the snippet was featured alongside other mementos celebrating the 25th anniversary of Destiny’s Child’s album Survivor, many fans took it as a hint about Beyoncé’s highly-anticipated act III, which is rumored to be a rock album. Some hoped that the “Dreams” singer would be featured on the project.
For now, fans will have to wait for any details about act III, with Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles even joking during Today on May 5, “I could tell you but I’d have to kill you.”
As you await word on Beyoncé’s latest project, read on to revisit her look and some of the other best-dressed celebrities at the 2026 Met Gala.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Sabrina Carpenter
The "Manchild" singer adhere to the "Fashion Is Art" dress code by donning a Dior dress covered celluloid film strips of the Aubrey Hapburn movie Sabrina. She complete the look with Christian Louboutin heels.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Rihanna
Shining bright like a diamond was the "Work" singer, who wore a Maison Margiela creation featuring over 115,000 crystal beads, antique jewels and other artistic baubles.
John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Emma Chamberlain
The YouTuber looked like she had just stepped out of an oil painting in this custom Mugler design.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Beyoncé
The Grammy winner paid homage to the human body with this Olivier Rousteing number embellished to resemble the skeletal system.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Anne Hathaway
It wasn't Prada, but the Devil Wears Prada 2 star nonetheless embodied the "Fashion Is Art" dress code with a Michael Kors gown complete with hand-painted designs by artist Peter McGough.
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Connor Storrie
The Heated Rivalry star heated up the red carpet in a Saint Laurent ensemble featuring a polka-dot halter top that cascaded into a flowing train.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Venus Williams
As one of the 2026 Met Gala co-chairs, the tennis supersrtar aced the assignment of sticking to the "Costume Art" theme with a Swarovski crystal mesh gown and a statement-making necklace inspired by the Wimbledon plate.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Doja Cat
The rapper told Vogue her Saint Laurent silicone dress was inspired by "the way fabric draped over the body of a Grecian statue."
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Kim Kardashian
In keeping with the "Fashion is Art" dress code, the Kardashians star enlisted British pop artist Allen Jones to make her a fiberglass breastplate.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Hunter Schafer
The Euphoria star practically took a page out of Gustav Klimt's 1912 painting
"Mäda Primavesi" with this Prada look. Her manicurist Emi Kudo leaned into the "pale, paper-y nude with blues, whites, yellows and grays" of the artwork by layering six different colors of DND Gel polishes on her nails.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Hailey Bieber
Inspired by sculptures, the Rhode Skin founder's Saint Laurent dress included a sculpted bodice made of 24-karat gold.
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Laura Harrier
The Michael actress' custom DiPetsa gown took inspiration from Italian sculptors and how they chiseled stone to resemble draped frabrics.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
A$AP Rocky
Fashion Killa, indeed. The rapper stepped out in a pink wool pink robe with black satin lapels and matching piping custom designed by Chanel.
Theo Wargo/FilmMagic
Tyla
The "Water" singer made it hotter in skin-baring custom Valentino gown as a nod to the Costume Institute's body-centric exhibit.
As for her glam, hairstylist Yusef Williams told E! News he aimed for a "very ethereal, like an art sculpture" vibe.
"To achieve the look, I used the Wavytalk Steam Sesh to smooth out the roots of her hair before going in and defining the curls with the Cool Curl Pencil," he shared in a statement, "and I used the Turblow Pro with the diffuser at the end to lock everything in."
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Chase Infiniti
Winning one fashion battle after another was the actress, whose Thom Browne dress paid tribute to the famed "Venus de Milo" sculpture using over 1.5 million colorful sequins.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
EJAE
The KPop Demon Hunters star tapped into her Korean heritage with a Swarovski look inspired by female courtesans of the Joseon dynasty.
“These women were artists," she told Vogue, "the most culturally refined figures of their time, in music, poetry, and conversation."
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Keke Palmer
Baby, the Nope star looked like a million bucks in this red-hot Prabal Gurung number with matching Christian Louboutin heels. Oh, did we mention that her Wempe necklace was actually worth a million dollars?
Hairstylist Ashanti Lation completed the look by styling Keke's scarlet hair using Creme of Nature products.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Gracie Abrams
The "Close to You" singer's Chanel gown celebrated Gustav Klimt’s famed painting "The Kiss." And just like the artwork itself, the gown was adorned in gold.
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