The 2026 Met Gala is set to kick off in just a few hours, with fans eagerly awaiting their favourite celebrities’ looks.

Yet, despite the night’s inherent glamour, many celebrities have found the experience overwhelming over the years.

Here are some celebrities who didn’t enjoy their time at the Met Gala:

Billie Eilish

The 10-time Grammy winner made her Met Gala debut in 2021 at the age of 19 and served as a co-chair. While she didn’t say she hated the experience, she admitted it felt awkward.

"The main thing that night made me think or feel was how famous people are just literally nobodies. Just randos, and it's so weird," Eilish said during a December 2021 appearance on The Howard Stern Show.

She added, "I was like, 'Wow, all these people are just somebody that's in class with you,' and you think this person's kinda annoying, you really like this person, you get along with this person, and everybody's just, like, embarrassed and insecure about what they're doing and saying."

Zayn Malik

The former One Direction star, known for his reserved personality, didn’t enjoy his Met Gala experience when he attended in 2016 with his then-girlfriend, Gigi Hadid.

"The Met Gala is not necessarily anything that I ever knew about or was about," Malik said in his June 2018 cover story with GQ.

He continued, "I'd rather be sitting at my house, doing something productive, than dressing up in really expensive clothes and being photographed on a red carpet ... To do the self-indulgent 'Look at me, I'm amazing' thing on the red carpet, it's not me."

Lili Reinhart

The Riverdale actress last attended the Met Gala in 2021 and later hinted she may not be invited back after criticising Kim Kardashian’s 2022 appearance.

Reinhart criticised Kardashian’s admission of extreme dieting to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s iconic gown.

"To openly admit to starving yourself for the sake of the Met Gala. When you know very well that millions of young men and women are looking up to you and listening to your every word," she wrote on her Instagram Stories. "The ignorance is otherworldly disgusting."

SZA

The Snooze hitmaker had an uncomfortable experience at the 2022 Met Gala, revealing that her mental health struggles affected her confidence that night.

"I hated my outfit," SZA told Community Voices, referring to her custom Vivienne Westwood ensemble.

She explained, "That was another mental health thing. You want to do your job, you want to show up, and all these people are excited for you to be there, but it’s like, ‘Damn, I don’t feel confident,’ or ‘I don’t feel comfortable,’ or it’s like, ‘Oh, if my dress doesn’t fit…,’ and then there’s all this weird comparison, and it’s really unhealthy."

SZA later revealed that she left early, taking a cab back to her hotel after feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

Lourdes Leon

Finally, Lourdes Leon, the daughter of Madonna and Carlos Leon, described her experience at the 2021 Met Gala as awkward and boring.

"Maybe because it was my first time, but it felt crazy," she told Interview Magazine. "You’re just shoved into a room with all these famous people and you’re supposed to talk to them and be their friend, even though you don’t f**king know them. That’s not my vibe."

Lourdes Leon added, "I’m sure it’s fun if you’re someone who is friends with a lot of famous people, but I’m not. I didn’t know who the f**k to talk to. I felt so awkward that I literally called my boyfriend in the middle of it. But the dinner was fine."