2026 VMAs Red Carpet: 10 Bold Looks Revealed
The 2026 VMAs red carpet turned Los Angeles into a showcase of dramatic fashion on Sunday, September 27, as music stars, performers and entertainment figures arrived at the Peacock Theater. Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, LISA, Teyana Taylor, Tyla, Raye, Bebe Rexha, Sombr and many other celebrities were among those photographed before the ceremony.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards marked the ceremony’s return to Los Angeles for the first time since 2017. Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the event brought together established pop stars, emerging artists and musicians from across genres for one of the year’s most visible music-industry celebrations.
As usual, the fashion outside the venue was almost as closely watched as what happened inside. The 2026 VMAs red carpet featured everything from sleek gowns and tailored silhouettes to dramatic outerwear and deliberately unconventional styling.
Rather than following one dominant trend, this year’s arrivals showed how differently artists are approaching red-carpet fashion.
Taylor Swift Leads the 2026 VMAs Red Carpet Arrivals
Taylor Swift was among the first major names highlighted in coverage of the 2026 VMAs arrivals. Her appearance carried additional attention because she entered the ceremony with major nominations surrounding her latest music and visual projects.
Swift received nine nominations for the 2026 VMAs, including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year. Her visual for “The Fate of Ophelia” was also recognized across several creative categories.
Her presence on the 2026 VMAs red carpet therefore connected the fashion spectacle with one of the night’s central award-season storylines.
Swift’s arrival also demonstrated why the VMAs remain an important platform for celebrity fashion. The event traditionally gives musicians more room to experiment than many conventional awards ceremonies, where formal dressing can dominate.
Charli XCX Brings a Daring Look to the VMAs
Charli XCX was another major fashion talking point at the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
The singer arrived wearing a black velvet skirt with a matching long-sleeved top, featuring a mesh section and dramatic bell sleeves. The ensemble also incorporated corset-style detailing at the back of the skirt.
Her appearance generated additional attention after reports described a possible wardrobe malfunction while she posed for photographers. Charli continued with her red-carpet appearance, keeping the focus on the deliberately daring design.
The look was particularly appropriate for an artist whose recent work has moved between club culture, pop experimentation and more rock-oriented influences.
Charli arrived with four nominations, including Best Pop, Best Art Direction, Best Long Form Video and Song of the Summer. Her long-form project, Music, Fashion, Film, was also part of the nominations surrounding her 2026 era.
LISA Makes a Statement in Red
LISA was another prominent presence at the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
The BLACKPINK member was photographed arriving at the Peacock Theater, adding an international K-pop presence to a ceremony that featured nominees and artists from multiple regions and musical styles.
LISA was nominated in several categories connected to “Dream,” her collaboration with Kentaro Sakaguchi. The song was recognized in categories including Best Pop, Best K-Pop, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
Her appearance also reflected the increasingly global nature of the VMAs. K-pop has become a major part of the ceremony’s contemporary identity, with BLACKPINK, BTS, CORTIS, KATSEYE and LE SSERAFIM among the acts represented in the 2026 nominations.
Teyana Taylor Goes for Dramatic Glamour
Teyana Taylor brought another distinctive fashion direction to the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
She was photographed at the Peacock Theater wearing a dramatic black ensemble. Her styling combined a lace-focused look with voluminous details, creating a silhouette that stood apart from more minimalist arrivals.
Taylor was also part of the nominations for Best Collaboration for “Hard Part,” her collaboration with Lucky Daye. That recognition placed her among a diverse field of artists competing across the ceremony’s major categories.
Her arrival illustrated one of the defining characteristics of VMAs fashion: artists can use the red carpet as an extension of their creative identity rather than treating it simply as formalwear.
Raye Adds Classic Red-Carpet Drama
Raye was among the other notable arrivals documented from the 2026 ceremony. Her appearance added a more classic eveningwear sensibility to a carpet filled with experimental and theatrical designs.
Raye entered the ceremony with nominations that highlighted both her songwriting and visual work. Her song “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” was nominated for Song of the Year, while her work with Hans Zimmer on “Click Clack Symphony” received a Best Visual Effects nomination.
The combination of music and fashion was particularly visible in her VMAs appearance. Her red-carpet styling complemented the broader eveningwear trend seen throughout the arrivals without sacrificing the personality associated with the singer’s public image.
Bebe Rexha Brings Black Lace to the Carpet
Bebe Rexha also appeared at the Peacock Theater, with her look contributing another variation on black evening fashion.
Her 2026 VMAs appearance came as she continued to feature prominently in dance-oriented music discussions. Rexha and Faithless were nominated for Best Dance for “New Religion,” placing the collaboration alongside releases from Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Doechii, PinkPantheress, Slayyyter and Tate McRae.
The red carpet therefore served as a visual introduction to several of the musical categories being celebrated later that evening.
Tyla Joins the Major Arrivals
Tyla was another recognizable name on the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
The South African singer has increasingly become a regular presence at major international music events, and her appearance in Los Angeles added another global dimension to this year’s ceremony. Entertainment coverage photographed her among the evening’s arrivals.
Tyla’s presence also reflected the broader expansion of pop and R&B beyond traditional U.S. and European markets. The VMAs have increasingly become a meeting point for artists whose audiences extend across borders and streaming platforms.
Sombr Represents the Next Generation
Sombr was among the younger artists photographed at the 2026 VMAs. His arrival represented another important part of the evening: the mixture of established superstars and newer names.
He appeared alongside artists such as Bella Kay, Stella Lefty, Sienna Spiro and others who represented the next generation of musicians gaining visibility through the awards circuit.
Sombr also entered the night with recognition for his music. “Homewrecker” was nominated in the Best Alternative category, while his work “My Body Isn’t Ready” received a nomination for Best Art Direction.
That combination of music and visual presentation is particularly relevant to the VMAs, where the video remains central to the awards’ identity.
FLO and a Strong Group Presence
The British girl group FLO was also among the arrivals at the Peacock Theater. Stella Quaresma, Jorja Douglas and Renee Downer were photographed together on the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
Their appearance highlighted the continued importance of groups at the ceremony.
The 2026 nominations included BLACKPINK, BTS, CORTIS, FLO, Fuerza Regida, Geese, KATSEYE and Twenty One Pilots in the Best Group category.
The range of artists competing in that category demonstrated how the modern pop landscape increasingly crosses genres, countries and audience communities.
PinkPantheress Adds Another Distinctive Look
PinkPantheress also walked the carpet, appearing among the growing list of artists documented from the Los Angeles ceremony.
She arrived with significant nominations surrounding “Stateside + Zara Larsson.” The collaboration was recognized for Song of the Year, Best Pop, Best Dance, Best Visual Effects and other categories.
Her VMAs presence therefore combined fashion visibility with one of the ceremony’s stronger multi-category music stories.
The 2026 VMAs Red Carpet Shows How Much Fashion Has Changed
The biggest takeaway from the 2026 VMAs red carpet was not a single color, designer or silhouette. Instead, the arrivals demonstrated how much freedom contemporary musicians have when creating public images.
Taylor Swift’s appearance represented established superstar fashion. Charli XCX leaned into experimentation. LISA brought international pop visibility. Teyana Taylor embraced dramatic styling, while Raye and Bebe Rexha showed different approaches to eveningwear.
Meanwhile, artists such as Sombr, FLO, PinkPantheress and Stella Spiro helped bring younger and emerging voices into the visual conversation.
That diversity is part of what continues to make the VMAs different from many traditional awards shows. The ceremony is built around music videos, performance and visual identity. Consequently, the red carpet naturally becomes another place where artists can communicate those ideas.
Los Angeles Returns to the VMAs Spotlight
The location was another important part of the 2026 ceremony.
The VMAs returned to Los Angeles for the first time since 2017, with the Peacock Theater serving as the venue. The ceremony was scheduled to air live at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on CBS, MTV and Paramount+, with Snoop Dogg serving as host.
The Los Angeles setting also provided a natural backdrop for the entertainment industry’s biggest stars. From veteran musicians to emerging performers, the arrivals reflected the broad range of artists represented in the 2026 nominations.
The ceremony itself included major musical performances and award presentations, while the red carpet provided the opening visual chapter of the night.
What Made the 2026 VMAs Red Carpet Stand Out
The 2026 VMAs red carpet ultimately reflected the awards’ longstanding relationship with fashion, music and visual culture.
There was no requirement for every celebrity to follow one particular aesthetic. Instead, the carpet accommodated sharply tailored looks, dramatic dresses, revealing designs, vintage-inspired styling and theatrical silhouettes.
That variety is important because VMAs fashion has historically rewarded individuality. Artists use the event to create memorable images that can circulate long after the awards themselves have ended.
This year’s arrivals continued that tradition.
With Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, LISA, Teyana Taylor, Raye, Tyla, Bebe Rexha, Sombr, PinkPantheress and FLO among the stars photographed at the Peacock Theater, the 2026 VMAs red carpet offered a broad snapshot of where music and celebrity fashion stand in 2026.
The ceremony may ultimately be remembered for its performances, nominations and winners, but the fashion outside the venue provided its own visual record of the night.
For fans following the latest celebrity style, the 2026 VMAs once again showed that the red carpet is not simply a pre-show tradition. It has become part of the event itself.
