​Cannes 2026: What celebrities eat, wear, and do during festival week​

Every May, as the spring sun brings warm days, bustling streets, and a packed social calendar, the French Riviera comes alive. For Festival de Cannes, also known as the Cannes Film Festival, it’s part film festival, part fashion marathon, and part circus — a vibrant mix of glamorous and a little chaotic all at once. Along the famous Croisette, we get to see black SUVs and celebrities spilling from hotel lobbies, publicists running around, models somehow running on three hours of sleep and espresso. But there’s a whole world under the sparkle of red carpets and flashy parties — it’s a week full of strict routines, beauty rituals, power dinners, and whirlwind changes behind the scenes. This year, Indian actor Alia Bhatt has been everywhere: she’s the breakout star, turning heads with modern couture that nods to her roots. But the chatter isn’t just about who’s at Cannes; it’s also about who isn’t. When longtime festival favorite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan missed major appearances, fans jumped into online meltdown mode, desperate for answers. So, what’s life really like for celebrities during Cannes week? Let’s take a closer look. They say, the road to a jolly mood and a jovial heart is always through the stomach. But when at Cannes, how much does that saying hold? Forget big meals; stars barely eat like normal people. There are nutritionists, trainers, and weeks of prep before anyone even lands in France. The advice is always the same: high protein, lots of water, light Mediterranean food, and nothing too heavy before it’s time to wriggle into a gown. Think berries, salads, sushi, green juice — all those tiny plates and portions at all hours. Some celebrities avoid alcohol altogether, while others cling to coffee. But the nights? That’s when Cannes lets loose. Yacht parties get going, champagne towers come out, caviar is everywhere, and no one’s counting how many hours the party lasts. There’s always a buzz, as fashion is the language everyone speaks. Now, at this point, almost nobody would blink an eye if Cannes Film Festival were to be renamed as Cannes Fashion Festival, because, let’s be honest, more than the films, it’s the red carpet fashion that makes the buzz. This year is no different, as fashion remains the true language of Cannes. This year, the red carpet has been pure old-Hollywood: metallic fabrics, elegant lines, and “quiet luxury.” Indian stars, though, are stealing the show with a mix of high-end couture and unmistakable cultural flourishes. This year, it’s extra special for the Indian fans at Cannes, because one of the most sought-after stars made her much-awaited debut on the French Riviera. The ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ star showed up as L’Oréal Paris’s global ambassador and pretty much dominated the style conversation from the moment she arrived. She wore an icy blue Daniel Frankel gown that turned her into a social media phenomenon, which fans rallied behind, calling it fairytale-perfect! The real hit, though, was her ivory corset saree, which was a mashup of Indian draping and Western structure that set the internet on fire. While some called it “Maharani-core,” others hailed it as Gangubai with a fashionable twist. In all her looks, Bhatt’s thoughtful nod to her background made her the week’s style MVP. From her black “quiet luxury” airport outfit (remember the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy capris?) to a dreamy daytime dress in pastel shades worn around the Riviera, to painting the red carpet peach with her coral look, it’s safe to say that Alia’s Cannes wardrobe has projected a carefully curated global image: rooted, polished, understated, yet globally acclaimed. Meanwhile, Cannes felt incomplete for a lot of Indian fans because Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was suddenly nowhere to be seen. She’s been an institution at the festival for no less than over twenty years, her dramatic style making her an icon, especially for Indian audiences. However, this year she vanished from L’Oréal’s big promo campaigns, which had fans venting online until the brand finally called her a “living legend.” No official word on if she’s skipping Cannes completely, but her absence already feels like a story in itself. L’Oréal Paris, in fact, later referred to Rai Bachchan as a “living legend” after backlash intensified online. There has been no official confirmation whether she will entirely skip Cannes 2026, or if she has been “replaced” by Alia Bhatt as India’s mascot for the brand at Cannes, but her absence from the opening stretch of the festival has already become one of the biggest talking points. All of this unfolds over a week jammed with tradition: mornings start with interviews, afternoons are for trying on gowns and rehearsals, evenings belong to the premieres, and if you blink, you’ll miss the celebrity who prepped for weeks but spent less than five minutes on the carpet. After midnight, things move to the yachts and hidden terraces. The real deals, the secret chats, and new collaborations? They happen at parties with a view of the Mediterranean. To be honest, being on your toes for so many things all at once isn’t a joke. That way, Cannes is exhausting and glamorous at the same time. While we are constantly being blown away by the polished part of the film festival and fashion parade, it’s important to remember, acknowledge, and recognize the gruelling prep for it, too.