Golden Globes 2026 Compared to Met Gala: Why The Red Carpet Changed

It looks like the 2026 Golden Globes is walking a mile in the Met Gala’s shoes.

The Golden Globe Awards ceremony began on January 11th at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, and this year’s red carpet looked a lot like the Met Gala’s. (You can find photos and details of all the stars who attended the 2026 Golden Globes, which aired on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, here.)

What sparked the comparisons between the film and TV event hosted by Nikki Glaser and a high-fashion show? Much of it came down to recent construction at the Beverly Hilton hotel. This forced the Golden Globes red carpet to move from inside the hotel to outdoors, stretching almost 500 feet along Wilshire Boulevard.

When the usual red carpet location became unavailable due to construction, the team had to get creative, explained Glenn Weiss, showrunner for the 2026 Golden Globes, in an interview with Los Angeles Magazine. As the saying goes, ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’ and this situation forced them to find a new solution.

The show’s producers definitely changed things up this year. Instead of the usual plain backdrop on the Golden Globes red carpet, they’ve added a staircase inspired by the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the Met Gala is held.

Production designer Jitter Garcia explained to Los Angeles Magazine that they aimed for a sense of movement, rather than static poses, envisioning something similar to a fashion runway.

Garcia explained the production crew carefully considered the step heights, saying they wanted to ensure the costumes – specifically the skirts, trains, and heels – would work well on them.

Indeed, stars including Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Selena Gomez and Hudson Williams were able to show off their show-stopping glam while heading up the steps ahead of the show.

To see every star who gave the Met Gala a run for its money at the 2026 Golden Globes, keep reading.