79th Festival de Cannes © Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Halfway Through, the 79th Edition Keeps Building Momentum
Day 6! The Festival is in full swing, providing the perfect opportunity to take stock of attendance figures that we are delighted to see for this 79th edition. Industry professionals and festivalgoers have joined us from all over the world to celebrate cinema on the Croisette… and far beyond.
This year, more than 52,000 accreditation requests were submitted, marking a 3% increase compared to 2025. Clearly, the Festival de Cannes continues to inspire dreams — and so does cinema itself.
Already, 35,000 festivalgoers have arrived in Cannes. Across the five screening rooms of the Palais and the four theaters of the Cineum, screenings have been sold out or nearly full since opening day: more than 102,000 admissions have already been recorded for the 124 screenings held since the start of the Festival, representing an 11% increase compared to 2025 — a rise also driven by the 3,000 young film lovers accredited for 3 Days in Cannes.
Beyond the Croisette, coverage of the event is generating renewed enthusiasm both in France and internationally, particularly on social media, with conversations around the hashtag #Cannes2026 surging across platforms.
Broadcast live on France 2, the Opening Ceremony drew 1.75 million viewers. The ceremony and Electric Venus, the opening film, were also simultaneously screened in more than 980 cinemas across France, attracting over 52,000 spectators on the very first evening.
The second week still holds many exciting discoveries, unforgettable encounters, and great cinematic moments both on the red carpet and in the screening rooms. But already, thank you to everyone who is helping bring this 79th edition to life and answering cinema’s call.
