The night the Academy handed out trophies at the 98th Academy Awards, a different stage was already set for celebration: the vanity fair Oscar Party. For the first time in the event’s history the famed after‑party relocated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), offering a fresh backdrop for a crowd made up of film stars, fashion icons, musicians, and political figures. The ceremony itself—hosted by Conan O’Brien—led directly into a string of late‑night gatherings, and many winners and nominees flowed into Hollywood’s most talked‑about room to keep the festivities going.
Earlier in the evening an intimate dinner and viewing were organized by Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair’s global editorial director, giving a small group a preview of the main event. When that private service concluded, the larger celebration opened its doors: Vanity Fair’s 31st annual Oscar party. Hosts and guests encountered playful decorative touches—scattered miniature golden statuettes among the décor—and a decidedly West Coast culinary wink in the form of plentiful In‑N‑Out burgers. On the red carpet, livestream cohosts Brittany Broski, Quenlin Blackwell, and Jake Shane guided arrivals and captured impromptu interviews as celebrities moved inside.
The venue shift: what the LACMA setting changed
Transplanting the afterparty to LACMA altered the night’s visual and social dynamics. The museum’s galleries and outdoor spaces provided a modern, art‑forward atmosphere that contrasted with the traditional hotel ballroom template. Guests found themselves circulating through rooms designed for exhibitions rather than banquets, which created a more exploratory and gallery‑like flow. This new layout encouraged smaller clusters of conversation among attendees from film, fashion, and politics, while the museum’s architecture became an unspoken backdrop to red carpet photos and cinematic snapshots.
The guest list and fashion highlights
As always, outfits and personalities dominated the conversation. Among the arrivals were high‑profile names who stopped for cameras and commentary: actors such as Jacob Elordi, directors and producers, and fashion leaders across the industry. Notable looks included Kris Jenner in vintage Valentino and striking, attention‑grabbing ensembles worn by Julia Fox. On the more understated side, moments like Elle Fanning greeting filmmaker Steven Spielberg captured the multigenerational nature of the evening. Photographs also showed pairs and groups arriving together, like Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, reinforcing how the party brought different spheres of celebrity into the same room.
Red carpet moments and the livestream
The arrival sequence doubled as a destination for live coverage: the Vanity Fair afterparty livestream was hosted by Quenlin Blackwell, Jake Shane, and Brittany Broski, offering viewers a front‑row look at the celebration. The stream went live on youtube.com/vanityfair immediately after the ceremony on Sunday, March 15, 2026, beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT. These hosted segments blended casual interviews, fashion commentary, and candid scenes from inside the event, allowing audiences who couldn’t attend to follow the evening’s pulse in real time.
The rhythm of the evening: winners, mingling, and moments
The party served as the natural second act to the awards show, where winners, nominees, and guests could decompress. The night featured emotional tributes and surprise appearances on the awards stage—echoing through the dinner rooms and galleries as conversations about the show spilled into the afterparty. Many Oscar recipients and industry figures migrated between the ceremony’s official venues and Vanity Fair’s spaces, creating a steady exchange of congratulations, interviews, and candid photo ops. The combination of a private preparty, a public red carpet, and a lively reception made for a layered experience that matched the scope of the award season.
Food, atmosphere, and photographic moments
Beyond outfits and celebrity encounters, the event’s staging and catering shaped how guests experienced the night. The well‑known nod to California culture—the In‑N‑Out burgers—added a relaxed counterpoint to couture and formalwear. Photographers such as Jutharat “Poupay” Pinyodoonyachet and agency photographers captured candid clusters and posed portraits, preserving the evening’s most memorable compositions. Small decorative choices, from statuettes positioned as visual cues to curated lighting within the museum, helped transform LACMA into a temporary social hub for Hollywood’s post‑Oscars celebration.
For those looking to relive the evening, galleries and recaps collect the best images and highlights: from red carpet arrivals to the guest list, and the full roll call of winners from the 98th Academy Awards. Whether you follow for fashion, celebrity interactions, or the sheer spectacle of an industry reunion, the Vanity Fair Oscar Party’s move to LACMA offered a distinctive chapter in the awards season story—one that paired artful surroundings with the familiar energy of Hollywood’s biggest night.
