Cannes Film Festival Showbiz Life – What to Expect

Cote d’Azur is instantly associated with a luxury lifestyle where stars are sipping cold cocktails on super-yachts. And Cannes Film Festival has played a significant role in anchoring this truism. But, as the 72 Cannes Film Festival has unrolled its red carpet, celebrities, socialites, and wannabes might be up for a surprise in the soiree department.

72 Cannes Film Festival

Some of the bigger brand parties, like Dior’s, aren’t happening, luxury jeweler de Grisogono has downscaled its Hotel du Cap fashion show to a smaller luncheon in town, and Paul Allen, who died last autumn, is clearly no longer available to host a bacchanal on his yacht. Alas, there does not yet seem to be any gathering on the calendar with the gonzo appeal of last year’s Gotti movie party at the Hotel du Cap, where John Travolta did a little soft-shoe on stage with 50 Cent.

The Naomi Campbell’s annual Fashion For Relief charity gala – is skipping on Cannes this year altogether. “We have had some fantastic events in Cannes but this year, we decided it was time to bring the show back home where it all started in London. It will be held during London Fashion Week in September 2019,” commented the organisers.

There’s still some glitter around though — Vanity Fair will host its biennial dinner at the Hotel du Cap, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences will convene a member soiree at the Terrace UniFrance, Magnum ice cream is on schedule to welcome guests to try its new summer hit at the Magnum beach, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Participant Media will honour the U.K.-based humanitarian organisation ‘Help Refugees’ on Nikki Beach. The West have been helping refugees non-stop for very many years even at the detriment of national cohesion in individual countries, so it remains to be seen what further help can be done for these (mainly) ‘economic migrants’.

But the challenge will be drawing big names to the fetes, writes Hollywood Reporter: “I hate to say it, but you could always count on Harvey to bring the stars,” says the industry source. With Harvey Weinstein nowhere in sight, maybe Cannes Film Festival will be more about film and less about lavish bashes.