Cannes 2026 closing ceremony: Political speeches to red carpet glamour - key moments from film festival
The 79th Cannes Film Festival 2026 concluded on May 23. The closing ceremony witnessed emotional speeches, major award surprises, and unforgettable fashion moments. Take a look at the key moments from the global event.
Key moments of Cannes 2026 closing ceremony
The Cannes 2026 Film Festival held its closing ceremony on May 23, 2026, and concluded on a good note. The day was marked by major cinematic triumphs, emotional moments, bold political commentary and high-fashion power dressing. Here’s a quick recap of the key moments from the global festival.
Historic Palme d'Or win
At the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu made history by winning his second Palme d'Or for his drama film Fjord. Cristian Mungiu is a Romanian filmmaker and is known for directing complex social and moral dramas. The award marks a prestigious milestone in Mungiu's career. The award was presented by the Scottish actress Tilda Swinton.
Andrey Zvyagintsev's political acceptance speech
At the closing ceremony, the Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev won the Grand Prix for his highly anticipated contemporary noir thriller, Minotaur. Zoe Saldana presented the award. While accepting the award, the director took a dig at the political matter in his acceptance speech. He called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the slaughter and halt the military actions in Ukraine.
Barbra Streisand's Honorary Palme d'Or win
Renowned American singer and actress Barbra Streisand won the Honorary Palme d'Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Due to her knee injury, the actress couldn't attend the event and allowed the French actress Isabelle Huppert to accept and present the tribute on stage. However, Streisand delivered her acceptance speech via a video message.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's dramatic finale arrival
Actress Aishwarya Rai closed the Cannes Film Festival in a dreamy white pantsuit designed by Cheney Chan Couture. The Taal star donned high-fashion power dressing as she said goodbye to this global event. The attire features a single-breasted, structured silhouette, accented by silver sequins and crystal embroidery on the lapels. Portraying her queen-of-the-Cannes aura, Bachchan was seen carrying a massive, dramatic white feathered boa stole, which was wrapped elegantly around her shoulders and elbows.
Red carpet glamour
Several celebrities showed off one of their astonishing looks at the closing ceremony of Cannes 2026. Demi Moore made a striking impression in a stunning teal pillow-sleeved green halter-neck gown as a key member of the esteemed Cannes competition jury.
Zoe Saldana made a high-profile appearance at the Palais des Festivals both as a red-carpet fashion standout and an official stage presenter. Alongside her husband, Marco Perego, the actress wore a dramatic black floral gown, highlighted by a playful yet elegant sculptural silhouette.
Eva Longoria is one of the long-standing global ambassadors for L'Oréal Paris. For the closing ceremony of the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival, she opted for a custom, strapless gold-and-silver Tony Ward Couture gown. Her attire features sequined ovals, designed to reflect radiant sunlight rays.
Best Director prize split
At the 2026 Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony, the Best Director Prize was split between Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski and the Spanish directorial duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
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