Hours before the 2026 Met Gala, Amazon workers and activists organized a protest titled 'Ball Without Billionaires' in New York City’s Meatpacking District. This event, co-hosted by stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and actor Lisa Ann Walter, featured Amazon warehouse workers and union organizers showcasing custom-designed outfits. The protest aimed to highlight issues surrounding wealth disparity and corporate power, particularly targeting Amazon's labor practices and investments in artificial intelligence. Demonstrators carried signs with messages like “You Can’t Buy Cool” and “Labour Is Art,” while expressing discontent towards Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Tensions heightened near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the Met Gala was taking place, as a protester attempted to breach the red carpet. The protest garnered mixed reactions online, with some supporting the cause and others criticizing the gala's perceived excess. Despite the protests, the Met Gala continued under its theme 'Costume Art,' co-chaired by celebrities including Beyoncé and Nicole Kidman.