The 68th Annual Grammy Awards in 2026 delivered a spectacular night of musical performances, with Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and Justin Bieber taking centre stage in a series of unforgettable acts that captivated the audience at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena.
Lady Gaga's Striking Performance and Unusual Attire
Lady Gaga, aged 39, made a dramatic entrance at the 2026 Grammys ceremony, performing a powerful rock rendition of her hit track Abracadabra. The singer, who won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for MAYHEM during the evening, opted for a truly unique outfit that immediately captured attention.
Her ensemble featured a large black straw hat that partially concealed her face, with long red pieces strategically placed throughout the headpiece. A small opening at the front allowed the audience to better see the songstress as she performed. She complemented this with a black and red top adorned with feathery details and a shimmering black skirt that caught the stage lighting beautifully.
Atmospheric Stage Presence
The performance began with thick fog and minimal lighting creating an atmospheric setting. Lady Gaga gripped a black walking stick and wore black-heeled leather boots, while her platinum blonde hair was brushed back from her face, showcasing bold red lip colour.
Throughout her performance, she utilized keyboards and other instruments around her, dramatically falling to the stage floor at one point while continuing to sing. Instead of backup dancers, a guitarist briefly appeared to enhance the rock version of the track. Red lights eventually filled the stage as she showcased her vocal range with impressive high notes.
The camera moved around the star from various angles as the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Lady Gaga concluded her performance back at the keyboards, receiving a standing ovation from both celebrities and audience members.
Sabrina Carpenter's Airport-Themed Performance
Sabrina Carpenter took to the stage earlier in the evening with a creatively themed performance of her song Manchild. The stage was transformed into an airport setting, complete with luggage and airplane props.
Carpenter donned a white corset top, mini shorts, and white lace boots for her performance. Her platinum blonde hair flowed in elegant curls beneath a white hat embroidered with the letters 'SCA', seemingly standing for Sabrina Carpenter Airlines.
Dynamic Stage Movement
The singer moved energetically around the stage, at one point rolling on a luggage cart and sitting atop a pile of suitcases. She encouraged the audience to stand and cheer before breaking into choreography with backup dancers.
Carpenter finished her memorable performance by climbing onto a plane prop while holding a white dove in her hand. Manchild had received four Grammy nominations this year, including Song of the Year, and appears on her album Man's Best Friend, which earned nods for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Justin Bieber's Intimate Performance
Later in the evening, Justin Bieber delivered a strikingly intimate performance of Yukon from his album Swag. The singer appeared on stage wearing only shorts and socks, with a bright spotlight shining down on him as the crowd fell silent.
Bieber began by playing the tune on a guitar slung over his shoulder before adding beats from nearby instruments and singing the ballad's lyrics. His wife Hailey watched proudly from the arena floor as he performed.
At the song's conclusion, Bieber began to walk off stage as lights dimmed, but returned briefly to quietly remove his guitar before exiting completely to a standing ovation from the audience.
Opening Acts and Additional Performances
The Grammy Awards kicked off with an opening performance from Blackpink's Rose and Bruno Mars, who sang their 2024 track Apt. to energize the crowd. Rose wore high-waisted black trousers and a cropped white tank top with a loosened black tie, while Mars sported a classic black suit with an unfastened white shirt.
Before the Best New Artist award announcement, nominees in the category performed for the audience. The Marias performed No One Noticed, followed by Addison Rae singing Fame Is A Gun from the back of a large truck that drove toward the arena. Rae wore a shimmering purple coat and heeled boots before revealing a sparkling purple bralette and bottoms underneath.
Variety of Musical Styles
Girl group Katseye kept the energy high with their song Gnarly, wearing coordinating ensembles and performing choreography. Leon Thomas performed Mutt with a guitar and band accompaniment, while Alex Warren made his way through the audience to sing Ordinary, with fans holding up phone flashlights.
Lola Young showcased her vocal skills performing Messy on piano while wearing a black ensemble with flowing purple material. Olivia Dean brought the crowd to their feet with Man I Need, wearing a shimmering red minidress and pumps surrounded by a gold set. Dean went on to win the Best New Artist award.
Sombr closed the medley with 12 To 12 in a shimmering cropped blazer and matching trousers, eventually venturing into the crowd to dance alongside stars including Queen Latifah.
Later Performances and Tributes
Bruno Mars returned later to perform his new song I Just Might, wearing a vibrant red ensemble with his band in coordinating looks and a large red heart prop on stage.
Tyler, The Creator performed Thought I Was Dead and Like Him in a green outfit with dramatic shoulder pads. The stage transformed into a car shop, with Regina King making a surprise cameo to deliver an inspirational speech before Tyler performed Sugar On My Tongue, eventually jumping onto a red car. His performance ended dramatically when a gas station prop exploded, causing him to fall off stage.
In Memoriam Segment
The In Memoriam portion featured Reba McEntire performing Trailblazer to honour artists who passed away in the previous year, joined by Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson. McEntire wore an all-black ensemble with shimmering, feathery details.
Post Malone performed Black Sabbath's War Pigs to honour the late Ozzy Osbourne, accompanied by Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Andrew Watt. Lauryn Hill paid tribute to Roberta Flack, who passed away in February 2025, wearing a black gown with a dazzling silver necklace. She was joined by Wyclef Jean to sing a cover of Flack's Killing Me Softly with His Song.
Additional artists including John Legend, Chaka Khan, John Batiste, Leon Bridge, Alexia Jayy, Lalah Hathaway, and October London participated in the tribute to Flack, performing tracks including Closer I Get To You and Where Is The Love.
Hill also honoured late star D'Angelo by singing some of his tracks, including Brown Sugar and Lady, as well as Nothing Even Matters, which she collaborated on with D'Angelo in 1998.
Closing Performances
Towards the end of the night, hip hop duo Clipse gave a moving performance of their song So Far Ahead from their 2025 album Let God Sort Em Out. The duo, comprising Malice and Pusha T, were joined by Pharrell Williams and a choir for backup vocals.
The 2026 Grammy Awards showcased an extraordinary range of musical talent and creative performances, with artists pushing boundaries in both their musical presentations and fashion choices throughout the memorable evening in Los Angeles.
