On Met Gala Monday, first comes the carpet—which this year’s starry attendees ascended in their “Fashion Is Art” finest—and then comes a tour of the spring Costume Institute show inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But before the stars took in “Costume Art” on Monday or mingled over cocktails, and much before the Sabrina Carpenter and Stevie Nicks show at the Temple of Dendur, they had to hand over their cellphones.

So, what exactly goes on inside the Met Gala? Who’s having a heart-to-heart with whom over champagne and chocolate raspberry crèmeux? Who can’t sit down in their architectural gown, and who hasn’t sat down because they’re having way too much fun in the (designated!) smoking area?

This year, Gracie Abrams was Vogue’s intrepid celebrity reporter, taking a (Met-approved) camera inside the goings-on. “Our whole table was pretty undeniably lovely,” says Abrams, who attended with team Chanel and wore a gilded, mosaic-like custom gown that referenced Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Among her tablemates were Jennie Kim, Bhavitha Mandava, Awar Odhiang, and Lily-Rose Depp.

“Everyone was grateful to be included,” Abrams adds of her reportage. “Everyone looked so beautiful in their respective interpretations of the theme, and every single person who allowed me to snap a picture was a gorgeous muse. It always followed an overdue catch-up.”

Scrolling through the pop star’s pictures, you’ll see Heated Rivalry boys Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, a molten-eared Paloma Elsesser, Vittoria Ceretti’s glittery back, and a playfully pouty Zoë Kravitz. There are also group snaps of Gracie, Maya Hawke, and Lena Dunham, as well as Jennie and Chanel’s Matthieu Blazy. Hailey Bieber and Charli xcx look dance floor-ready, while Sabrina Carpenter gets the party started onstage. Elsewhere, Chanel girls pose over their burrata appetizers and martinis flow. (And flow, and flow.)

Below, see inside the 2026 Met Gala courtesy of Gracie Abrams.