Bad Bunny Adds 53 Years and a Cane at the 2026 Met Gala

Bad Bunny has treated the Met Gala like a yearly performance space for a while now, but his 2026 entrance was one of his most committed bits yet. On Monday night (May 4), the Puerto Rican star arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York artificially aged into a senior version of himself: white hair, wrinkle makeup, a cane, and an all-black suit finished with an oversized flowing bow.

It wasn’t just prosthetics and styling. He leaned into the character physically, moving with deliberate, elderly body language as cameras tracked him up the carpet. The choice landed as both fashion stunt and acting exercise, especially as Benito continues to expand his screen résumé after Bullet Train and Happy Gilmore 2, with a Puerto Rico-focused film directed by Residente on the horizon.

Asked by Vogue red carpet co-host La La Anthony how he keeps raising the bar at the event, he framed the gala as part of his creative routine: “It’s getting a part of my life, trying to do something different. This day of the Met is a perfect day to explore and be creative and express yourself in a different way.”

He also delivered the night’s cleanest joke when asked how long the transformation took: “53 years exactly.” Then, with a grin, he added: “It took a little bit but it’s worth it. I hope I look good.”

The moment fit the larger tone of a carpet where musicians again drove much of the conversation. This year’s gala, themed “Fashion Is Art” and tied to the “Costume Art” exhibition, also brought out Maluma, Madonna, Beyoncé, Charli xcx, Sam Smith, Doja Cat, Sabrina Carpenter, and all four BLACKPINK members—JISOO, JENNIE, LISA, and ROSÉ. Still, Bad Bunny’s age-shift character work stood apart: less a simple outfit reveal, more a fully acted red-carpet persona.