Olivia Rodrigo skips 2026 Met Gala

Olivia Rodrigo said this week that she did not attend the 2026 Met Gala main event, even though she was in New York that night and later went to a Met Gala after-party. Kiss 95.1 reported on June 3 that Rodrigo said skipping the gala was not political and reflected her preference for spending time on music and friends. Daily Front Row reported separately that Rodrigo was seen at Saint Laurent’s 2026 Met Gala after-party, making her absence from the main red carpet a selective one rather than a full retreat from the evening’s orbit. (fashionweekdaily.com) (kiss951.com) Rodrigo’s comments addressed speculation that had built after she was absent from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s carpet but appeared later at an industry party. The reporting from Kiss 95.1 and iHeart tied her explanation to a recent New York Times Popcast interview, in which she said the gala is not especially central to how she wants to spend her time. (kiss951.com) ### If she was in New York, why didn’t she go to the main gala? Kiss 95.1 reported on June 3 that Rodrigo said her choice was not a political statement. (fashionweekdaily.com) The outlet said she framed the decision around personal priorities, saying she would rather focus on making music and being with friends who know her well. iHeart published a similar account on June 2, saying Rodrigo described herself as “not really a fashion girl” and suggested the annual gala is not her scene at the moment. That account also said the remarks came during a recent Popcast interview. (kiss951.com) ### Did Olivia Rodrigo attend any Met Gala events at all? Daily Front Row reported on June 3 that Rodrigo did attend the Saint Laurent 2026 Met Gala after-party. The publication said that if fans were hoping her after-party appearance signaled a return to the main carpet next year, they should not assume that. (kiss951.com) AOL also reported in May that Rodrigo skipped the gala itself but later appeared at an after-party in a vintage Vivienne Westwood dress. That sequence helped explain why photos of Rodrigo circulated from Met Gala night even though she was not part of the official arrivals. (iheart.com) ### Had she gone to the Met Gala before? Kiss 95.1 said Rodrigo made her Met Gala debut in 2021, when she was 18 and only months removed from the breakout success of “Driver’s License.” The outlet said she returned in 2022 and 2023, but has not attended the main event since 2023. (fashionweekdaily.com) iHeart and other pickup reports matched that timeline, describing 2026 as another year in which Rodrigo chose not to walk the carpet. (aol.com) ### Was there speculation about a boycott? Daily Front Row said interviewers asked Rodrigo to respond to rumors that she may have boycotted the 2026 gala. Kiss 95.1 then reported that Rodrigo said her absence was not political. Consequence had previously linked her absence to online criticism of the Jeff Bezos-backed event, but Rodrigo’s own explanation, as carried by Kiss 95.1 and iHeart, was that the decision reflected taste and priorities rather than protest. (kiss951.com) (iheart.com) ### What comes next for Rodrigo? Daily Front Row reported that Rodrigo is days away from releasing her third studio album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” on June 12. That release gives a near-term marker for where her public schedule is headed after the Met Gala conversation. (fashionweekdaily.com) As of June 4, the clearest verified account is that Rodrigo skipped the 2026 Met Gala red carpet, attended Saint Laurent’s after-party, and said the choice was about where she wanted to put her time. (kiss951.com) (fashionweekdaily.com) (consequence.net)