The scene at the 2026 TIME100 Creators Gala was the algorithm’s dream. To celebrate TIME’s second annual list of the most influential digital voices of the year, a throng of the most prominent Instagrammers, TikTokers, YouTubers, Twitch streamers, LinkedIn creators, and more converged IRL in New York City on July 30.

The high-energy room included creators from across categories and platforms, many of whom traveled from around the U.S. and abroad to be there. Recess Therapy host Julian Shapiro-Barnum, science and technology journalist Cleo Abram, comedy creators Micky Gordon, Kevin Fredericks, Kat Stickler, Madison Humphrey, and Eric Sedeño, sports enthusiasts Jackie Johnston, Katie Feeney, and Morgan Riddle, celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes, luxury-travel specialist Olivia Ferney, and more mixed and mingled. Guests chatted over passed sushi and cocktails, including the Algorithm, a honeydew-and-vodka refresher, and the hibiscus-infused Main Character Margarita.

“This year's honorees come from more than a dozen countries, reach audiences across every major platform, and are shaping everything from science, fashion, technology, sports, and entertainment,” TIME’s CEO Jessica Sibley said in her welcome remarks, stepping behind the DJ booth to address the crowd. “Together, you command a combined social following of more than 1 billion across the world’s leading digital platforms,” she continued. “You're driving the economy—building businesses, creating opportunities, and delivering real value for your audiences.”

Throughout the night, influencer and skin-care brand founder Alix Earle, who appears on the TIME100 Creators cover, posed for photos with guests. Maura Higgins and Serena Page, both supernovas in the Love Island cinematic universe and beyond, reunited with a big hug. Creator mental-health advocate Shira Lazar and psychiatrist turned creator Judith Joseph chatted in the bathroom line. And Kane Parsons—the 21-year-old YouTuber turned director of A24’s Backrooms, which this year became the studio’s highest-grossing feature to date—stopped by the red carpet for an interview conducted by 2025 listee Cyrus Veyssi.

At one point in the evening, 10-year-old fashion designer Max Alexander—the youngest creator on the 2026 list—declined the passed caviar bites and, with the help of a TIME editor, snuck back to the staff room to nab a much more enticing snack: a mini box of Frosted Flakes. 

See the best photos from the 2026 TIME100 Creators party here.

The TIME100 Creators Party was presented by Ally, Waymo, Target, Whalar Group, and The Lighthouse.