Beyoncé says Met Gala return with daughter Blue Ivy feels 'surreal'

• Beyoncé returned to the Met Gala after a decade-long absence, serving as a co-chair for the 2026 event.
• The theme for the 2026 Met Gala exhibition is "Costume Art."
• This marks the singer's eighth time attending the high-fashion event since her 2008 debut.

Beyoncé stole the spotlight at the 2026 Met Gala, sharing that the moment felt surreal with her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

The Grammy-winning singer made an appearance on the red carpet with husband Jay-Z and their 14-year-old daughter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring exhibition, dubbed fashion's biggest night, on May 4.

The singer wore a bedazzled silver gown designed by Olivier Rousteing. She paired the look with a matching headpiece and a feathery jacket. Blue Ivy donned a cream gown with a matching jacket and shades, while Jay-Z opted for a classic black tuxedo.

While on the carpet, Beyoncé spoke with red carpet host La La Anthony.

"It feels surreal because my daughter is here," Beyoncé said during a red carpet interview. "She looks so beautiful. It's incredible to be able to share it with her, and I think she looks incredible."

This year, Beyoncé stepped in as a 2026 Met Gala co-chair along with Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and longtime organizer Anna Wintour. The theme of the 2026 exhibition was "Costume Art."

This year also marks Beyoncé's first Met Gala appearance in a decade. She last appeared in 2016 for the "Manus x Machina" gala, donning a nude-colored Givenchy Haute Couture dress. The appearance marks her eighth time attending the Met Gala since making her debut in 2008. She's also in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Many of those years, she's opted to wear the luxury fashion house Givenchy.

Prior to the Met Gala, fans had not heard from the singer directly in quite some time. While Beyoncé is known to be private, she often speaks through her music while dropping hints through major public appearances.

She last teased new music in February 2024 during a Super Bowl commercial, releasing two new singles from her eighth studio album "Cowboy Carter" immediately after.

Ahead of the high-fashion event, rumors have been circulating on social media that Beyoncé might be making an announcement related to her next album.

One fan account called @beyscatalog on X alleged that the singer's next album would be announced in connection with the Met Gala, speculating that a lead single release could be scheduled for next month and a full album released this summer.

However, the singer's longtime publicist Yvette Noel-Schure rejected those claims, commenting on the fan's social media post that this is "unequivocally false!!"

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.