The September 19, 2026, opening-night celebration for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles brought together major names from entertainment, film, and culture, but photographs of Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau quickly became one of the most discussed moments. Perry arrived in a striking white one-shoulder gown featuring an oversized sculptural panel, while Trudeau wore a black suit with an open-collar white shirt. Their first photographs looked like a standard red-carpet portrait, but later images appeared more candid, showing Perry smiling at Trudeau with a hand on his chest while he placed an arm around her waist. Another photograph showed the pair holding hands as they walked away from the backdrop. The images prompted a wide range of reactions online, including comments about their apparent closeness and speculation about Perry’s outfit. Some users compared the unusual shape of the gown to a spacesuit or baby carrier, while others speculated about pregnancy without providing evidence. Several commenters instead focused on the pair’s apparent happiness, describing them as looking like a couple in love. Their photos stood alongside a long list of celebrity arrivals, including Kim Kardashian in a black-and-gold gown, Queen Latifah in shimmering gold, Eva Longoria in a white gown with an open side, and Oprah Winfrey in a loose striped ensemble that also divided online opinion.

Beyond the celebrity fashion and photographs, the event marked the inauguration of a major new Los Angeles institution founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. Located in Exposition Park, the 300,000-square-foot museum contains more than 100,000 square feet of gallery space across more than 30 galleries, with an inaugural collection featuring over 1,300 works. Its exhibits span paintings, illustration, comics, photography, murals, cinema, and other forms of visual storytelling, with artists including Vincent van Gogh, Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Charles Schulz, and Gordon Parks. A dedicated cinema gallery, Star Wars in Motion, explores vehicles from the first six Star Wars films through props, costumes, concept designs, and physical builds. The museum’s 13-acre campus also includes gardens, an amphitheater, sculptures, more than 300 trees, and a public park that is free to visit. Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with Stantec, the building features a sweeping curved structure made with more than 1,200 individually shaped panels. After years of development, the Lucas Museum officially opened its doors to the public on September 22, 2026.