It’s Prom Night in America

Corsages and tuxes, limos and line dances, selfies and lip-sync videos: Each generation brings its own style and meaning to that all-American rite of passage, the prom.

This year’s prom-goers, who spent some of their most formative years in lockdown and have never known a world without social media or smartphones, are reinventing the food, themes, clothes and even the choice of a date. Is one too few? Do you even need one? Yet some traditions persist — the flowers, the fancy clothes, the mix of nostalgia and anticipation for what’s next.

Here are five proms from around the country that tell the story of Prom Night 2026.

San Jose, Calif.

Krishna Ganesan, a senior at Silver Creek High School, made all kinds of plans: costumes, brunch, bouquets, Vietnamese food. Not all of it went as expected.

Photographs by Molly DeCoudreaux for The New York Times

How did the day begin? “I got up at 7 a.m., just because of the excitement,” Krishna said, and because she wanted to get to the flower shop early to buy bouquets to match the colors — bright pink, black and blue — of her and her friends’ dresses. “I wanted our bouquets to reflect our personalities,” she said. She also invited her three friends to a 10 a.m. brunch, which included French toast, crepes, a charcuterie board and sliced Champagne mangoes.

When did the friends actually arrive? 1 p.m. But she wasn’t annoyed. “My whole thing was, ‘I am going to be zen today. Prom is supposed to be a no-stress, happy memory.”

Did you take a date? I have always felt a weird feeling about school dances and this pressure to bring a romantic partner as your date,” Krishna said. “But I was raised by a mom who was like, ‘Go against the status quo. You have nothing to be afraid of.’ ” So Krishna took her friend Crystal Truong, who graduated last year.

Where was dinner? The Vietnamese restaurant New Hoa Dang, which is vegetarian. (Krishna is a vegan.) The group was running late, but still had time to order all their favorites, including summer rolls and popcorn soy-based “chicken.”

What did you wear? The plan was for the group to dress up as characters from the animated series “Winx Club.” But then everyone decided they wanted to wear classic prom dresses, all slits, sparkles and beads. Krishna bought her fuchsia dress at a vintage store and paired it with a coral scarf.

What happened at prom? The theme was “Golden Affair,” with casino-inspired decorations like aces, diamonds and hearts. There were stations where students could make a short video and have it turned into a printed flipbook, and another where they could take Polaroid pictures and make commemorative booklets. A prom king and queen were crowned.

How was the music? “There was a lot of ‘Fe!n,’” Krishna said, referring to the hip-hop track by Travis Scott. “It is the most abrasive song I have ever heard, but it makes boys my age go feral.”

Any surprises? Toward the end of the night, a drone show unaffiliated with the prom lit up the sky, to students’ delight. “It was mimicking stars and star patterns, which I thought was really interesting,” said Krishna. “In cities, we don’t really get to see the stars.”

Chicago

For Josephine Singleton, a senior at Kenwood Academy High School, the night’s highlight was her prom walkout, a grand reveal of her dress for about 30 friends and family — complete with themed snacks, music and prayer.

Photographs by Lucy Hewett for The New York Times

How did the walkout go? Everyone waited outside, where Josephine had set up a white backdrop in the driveway, and a green walkway to make her entrance. “I came down the stairs and went out the front door and stood in front of the backdrop,” she said. “My walkout song was ‘Do It Like You’ by Diggy.”

What were you wearing? To match the green color scheme of the pre-prom party, Josephine wore a strapless emerald-green dress with a corset top and lots of sparkle.

What kind of food was served? Any snack that came in green packaging: Lay’s sour cream and onion potato chips, Sprite, Canada Dry soda and green grapes, all served on a green tablecloth. Terrance Randolph, the husband of Josephine’s godmother, runs a catering company, and brought turkey and chicken sandwiches (though they weren’t green).

Was there a date involved? “I considered going by myself because I was stressed out about having a date,” Josephine said. She decided to ask a childhood friend, Maurice Thompson, who attends a different school. He wore a custom black suit with sparkles across the jacket “to accentuate my green dress,” she said. Her mother led everyone in a prayer to keep the two safe and happy.

Did you eat a proper dinner? Amid the chaos of getting ready, Josephine wasn’t able to enjoy the spread she put out. “Maurice’s mom gave me a bag of fruit before we left,” she said.

How was the dance? The theme was “Hollywood Glam,” with a red carpet and gold stanchions leading the way to a rooftop. Josephine found her friends, took photos and danced to Drake, Future and Katy Perry. “I spent most of my night just walking around,” she said. “My feet hurt a lot.”

How did the evening end? “I got McDonald’s” — a crispy chicken sandwich with French fries and a Sprite — “and went to bed,” Josephine said. “I fell asleep in my makeup.”

Cincinnati

Lily Blocksom, a junior at the Seven Hills School, knew her friends were picky eaters. So she hosted dinner for 11 at home, with a menu that would have universal appeal: Mexican food, all prepared by her mother.

Photographs by Amy Powell for The New York Times

Date or no date? “We were all going to go with dates at first,” Lily said, “but then nobody else in our grade seemed to be doing that, and it’s a hassle to find a date. I was like, ‘OK, let’s do a girl dinner.’ ”

What did you eat? Lily’s mom, Angie, spent the day cooking the spread, which included street corn dip, a taco bar and a strawberry tres leches cake in parfait form. Lily’s grandmother, Gail, set the table with glittery napkin holders, colorful flowers and candles.

What did you wear? A pleated blue dress from Rent the Runway. “It made my hair look super-blond.” Before she left for the dance, Lily filmed a video of herself lip-syncing to the Bobby Vinton song “Blue Velvet” to post on TikTok.

How was the dance? The theme was “A Night in Paris,” though the decorations — which included projections of her school’s name and polka dots on the walls — didn’t feel particularly Parisian. But it was the company that made the night special, Lily said. “My two best friends had never gone to a dance before, so it was a big deal.”

Any surprises? “Probably when my dad came to my house. My parents are divorced, so I didn’t think he was coming. But he said, ‘You look super beautiful,’ and it was really sweet.”

How late did it go? A classmate hosted an after-party in a barn that went until the wee hours, and Lily slept at her friend’s house. But the celebrations weren’t over yet. A friend’s cousin had her first Communion the next day, so Lily borrowed a checkered dress and went along. “I was dead,” she said. “But it was cute.”

Huntsville, Ala.

Layla Ramay, a senior at Grissom High School, spent the big night alongside her best friend as they ate sushi, danced to ’90s music and reminisced about growing up during the pandemic.

Photographs by Diana King for The New York Times

Who was your date? Layla’s best friend, Gracie Queen, who attends an online school. They met in sixth grade around 2020, just as the pandemic began. The friendship blossomed online, through lockdowns and remote classes. “We both draw, and we both do a lot of creative things,” Layla said.

What did you wear? Layla wore a sparkly purple dress that she bought on the clothing resale website Depop, and strappy sandals adorned with silver butterflies and matching butterfly ear cuffs. To save money, Layla’s stepmother did her hair and nails. Gracie wore a cream-colored floral gown with sequins, and pendants of silver and gold.

Where did you eat? Rock N’ Roll Sushi, which has creative rolls and music-themed decorations. “We both love sushi,” Layla said, “and this was a place that isn’t too casual but not too fancy, either. We knew places like steakhouses would be pretty packed.”

Take any good pictures? “We ended up stopping at a creek in front of my school and taking some photos there. It was beginning to rain, but that led to a fun moment because as we were leaving that creek area, Gracie’s mom spotted a rainbow in front of my school. So we stopped to get photos.”

How was the prom? Layla and Gracie showed up at the event space fashionably early, at 6:30 p.m. The doors opened at 7, which gave them a first glimpse of the theme, “Moonlit Grove.” “There were a lot of moons and stars, and cherry blossom trees that we took photos in front of,” Layla said. “It was very fantastical.”

What did the D.J. play? “Hot to Go” by Chappell Roan was one of the first and last tracks. Several songs reminded Layla of her childhood: “Cha Cha Slide,” “Y.M.C.A.” and a ’90s throwback, “Macarena.”

How did you feel? “We were talking about how crazy it was that this was our senior year and we were almost done and we had been friends throughout all of it — through Covid. I had moved three times since we became friends, and we were still making it work.”

Leonia, N.J.

For Mina Kim, a senior at Leonia High School, the prom was run more like a wedding, with photo booths, a sit-down meal and a formal “prom-posal” from her date.

Photographs by Shuran Huang for The New York Times

What was the prom-posal? Mina and one of her best friends, Joshua Yoo, had already agreed to go together. But the day before prom, he showed up at her house with a sign. “I play the cello,” she said, “so he put, ‘Cello there, it would Mina lot if you went to prom with me’ on a poster.”

How did prom day start? It was a Thursday, so everyone went to school in the morning. Those attending the dance were dismissed around lunchtime. Mina went to her friend’s house, where she put on the red halter-top dress she had ordered online a few days before. They met up with their group under the George Washington Bridge to take photos with the Hudson River in the background.

What happened then? Mina and her friends and their dates headed back to school for a pre-prom event in the gym. “There was a big opening and a red carpet, and you walk through it with your date and there are different backdrops and picture stations,” she said.

Was there a theme? “I remember a lot of greenery and vines and flowers in the background,” Mina said. “Maybe ‘Enchanted Garden?’ ”

Where was dinner? At the dance. After the pre-prom event, the students were bused to prom, where a tapas station of dumplings, mini-hamburgers and fries awaited. Mina and her friends sat at a table for dinner: “Chicken and steak stacked on top of each other with mashed potatoes and greens. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was edible.”

Did you take pictures? “As high schoolers, we do a lot of TikTok prom transitions,” Mina said, referring to a video trend in which students shift from regular clothes to prom outfits. “At one point, everyone was outside the ballroom finishing their transitions. It’s the Gen Z in us, I guess.”

What was the last song? “Beauty and the Beat” by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. “There was a lot of Justin Bieber,” Mina said.

How did the evening end? Because everyone was required to take the same chartered bus to and from prom, they all left together at midnight. “It was a pretty good night,” she said, “even though my social battery was pretty drained by the end.”