The sexiest night of the year is officially back — and this time, it belonged to Los Angeles. The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show touched down in L.A. on October 18, delivering a full hour of lace, wings, and genuine show-stopping moments, with musical performances from Tate McRae, Katseye, Megan Moroney and Megan Thee Stallion keeping the energy at fever pitch.
And yes — after eight long years away, the Fantasy Bra is back. But we’ll get to that. Oh, we’ll get to that.
From triumphant postpartum returns to a heel caught in a stage crack, here are the best, worst and oops moments from a night that proved the VSFS comeback isn’t just complete — it’s thriving.
Best Postpartum Return: Barbara Palvin
Six weeks. Let that number sink in. That’s how long after giving birth to her first child — a daughter named Sylvie — that Barbara Palvin was back on the runway, walking in front of thousands like she had never left.
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The Hungarian supermodel, who is married to actor Dylan Sprouse, told PEOPLE ahead of the show that returning so quickly was “not that big of a deal,” describing her first month as a new mom as a “roller coaster.” The nonchalance was classic Palvin — but the achievement was anything but ordinary. Postpartum runway walks at six weeks are vanishingly rare in an industry not known for its patience.
As always, Sprouse was front row, cheering her on the entire time — the couple’s low-key, genuinely sweet dynamic on full display.
Palvin wasn’t the only new mother owning the runway, either. Elsa Hosk — who welcomed her daughter Flora with fiancé Tom Daly back in July — also walked the October 18 show, looking every bit the veteran. Between the two of them, this year’s edition doubled as an unofficial celebration of supermodel motherhood, and the crowd loved every second of it.
Best Backstage Accessory: Ashley Graham‘s Flip Phone
Ashley Graham is living in 2006 and honestly? We respect it. Ahead of the show, the model told PEOPLE she has been capturing all of her behind-the-scenes content on a bedazzled flip phone — because when it comes to ’90s trends, anything bedazzled is right up her alley, and she is not wrong.
In an era of professional content teams and ring lights, there’s something deeply charming about a supermodel documenting fashion’s biggest night on a piece of technology most Gen Z attendees have never held. Graham then hit the runway in a selection of lace, sparkle and wings, naturally — because some things about the VSFS never change.
Quickest Recovery: Summer Dirx’s Heel Mishap
Every live show has its oops moment — the unscripted second that reminds you this is all happening in real time — and this year’s belonged to Summer Dirx. While exiting the runway after her walk in the PINK section, her heel got caught in a crack on the stage. For a heartbeat, it looked like trouble.
But like an absolute professional, Dirx recovered: a bit of finagling, a steadying moment, and she made it down the stairs and off the stage with her head high. Fans seated around her burst into cheers as she strutted away, turning a potential disaster into one of the night’s most human, most applauded moments. The show must go on — and thanks to Dirx, it did, flawlessly.
Biggest Tease: Gisele Bündchen‘s Cameo
The loudest gasp of the night came during the opening video montage, when Gisele Bündchen — quite simply the most famous Victoria’s Secret Angel of all time — appeared on screen. For a split second, the entire venue seemed to hold its breath: was she about to walk?
The answer, for now, is no — she didn’t hit the runway. But what she did do was arguably even more exciting: she teased that her big return to the runway is on the horizon. A Gisele comeback walk? After all these years? Consider the entire fashion world officially seated, watching, and waiting.
Most Insane Sparkle: Kylie Jenner in the $50M Fantasy Bra
The moment everyone is still talking about, days later. Kylie Jenner made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut wearing the returned Fantasy Bra — and Victoria’s Secret did not do subtle for the occasion.
Worth $50 million — making it the most expensive Fantasy Bra ever created — the piece weighed four pounds, featured 4,410 natural diamonds, and was anchored by a 75.54-carat radiant-cut Fancy Vivid yellow diamond that likely has its own security detail. Fifteen master craftspeople spent a combined 1,000 hours building it by hand.
Jenner’s boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, watched from the front row — one of the couple’s rare joint public appearances, and a headline in its own right.
Most Exciting Debut: Casting Call Winner Solange Omon
From thousands of hopefuls to the L.A. runway: Solange Omon walked her very first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after winning the brand’s nationwide casting call — a journey documented in the *Angels Among Us* docuseries, where viewers watched her compete against thousands of other aspiring models for the opportunity of a lifetime.
She told PEOPLE ahead of the show that she was “shocked” to be named the winner, but that she had the time of her life through the entire process. On the night, she walked like she belonged there — because she did.
Most Blush-Inducing Performance: Tate McRae
Tate McRae, 23, didn’t just perform at the 2026 show — she detonated. The Canadian pop star delivered “Sports Car,” “Dear God” and her new single “Housewife” in a fiery red lingerie look that was, frankly, almost too hot for the stage, with dance moves to match every beat.
Just ask Nicole Kidman, sitting front row, who got an extremely up-close show — the kind of front-row experience you can’t buy, only luck into. McRae’s set was the night’s reminder that the VSFS has always been as much a concert as a fashion show.
Best Finale: The Group Walk
After a heart-pumping hour of spectacle, every model headed back to the runway one final time, joined by the night’s musical guests — led by veteran Angels Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, who have walked 21 and 20 shows respectively. As confetti fell around them, the crowd roared for two women who have quite literally grown up on this runway.
It was the perfect ending: the past and the future of the brand, walking side by side, celebrating another year in the books.
Same time next year? If the 2026 show was any indication — absolutely, and then some.
Want the full story behind the $50 million bra? Inside Kylie Jenner’s Fantasy Bra debut — 4,410 diamonds, 1,000 hours, one unforgettable night.
Also read: Inside Kylie Jenner’s $50 Million Fantasy Bra: 4,410 Diamonds, 1,000 Hours, One Debut