For the 2018 Met Gala, marking the opening of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” the one and only Madonna treated guests to spirited renditions of her 1989 hit “Like a Prayer” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” transforming the Great Hall’s dramatic staircase (and information desk!) into her stage for the evening.
The Weeknd and Nas
In 2016, Abel Tesfaye performed a litany of his top songs just as his album Beauty Behind the Madness was reaching a pop-culture fever pitch. At the crescendo of his set, Grandmaster Flash, who was serving as DJ that night, threw the show to Nas, who genuinely surprised guests by performing his ’90s hits—a rare thing indeed, given the crowd.
Rihanna
Photographed by Kevin Tachman
After storming the Met steps in the kind of exceedingly rare dress that deserves to be called a gown, Rihanna claimed the 2015 Met Gala as her own when, during her performance, she stomped her way down the center dinner table where Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Alessandro Michele, and Jessica Chastain were all sitting (or by this point, standing). It seemed only appropriate that she was singing “Bitch Better Have My Money” along the way.
Florence and the Machine
Florence Welch has the rare ability to shrink stadiums—seeing her live is like seeing a private show. So when Flo took to the Temple of Dendur at the 2011 Met Gala, which that year marked the debut of “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,” all she needed was her fire-red hair, some good lighting, and that hauntingly resonant voice to move the audience to their feet (and maybe even to their tiptoes).
Lady Gaga
Photographed by Hanna Thomson