While the red carpet is an integral part of the Cannes Film Festival which starts today (May 13), it is difficult to imagine that it wasn’t always so. When French journalist Yves Mourousi was asked to reorganize the opening ceremony, he looked to the Oscars for inspiration. That was back in 1984. And forty years later, walking up the red carpet is still one of the most watched events at the Cannes Film Festival. Here are some fascinating facts about Cannes’ red carpet that you may not know.
1What Colour is it?
If you have ever seen coverage of the Cannes Film Festival, you will have noticed that the carpet has a very unique shade of red carmine. As reported on the official website of the Cannes Film Festival, the iconic red carpet has not always been this crimson colour. Between 1946 and 1949, the carpet was actually blue. Later the blue carpet was assigned to the films selected for the Un Certain Regard category screened in the Salle Debussy.
But since 2011, all film participants have been given the honour of walking the red carpet. And in 2016 two exclusive bespoke colours were created to add that Je ne sais quoi to the carpet. The central section now features Rosso Red while the lateral sections are Teatro Red.
2What Size is it?
The ritual of climbing the red carpet has become the highlight of the Cannes Film Festival. The film stars get to walk along the 60m long red carpet before climbing the 24 steps that will lead them to the Palais des Festivals. Is it any wonder that they want to savour the moment and happily pose for the journalists’ flashbulbs?
3Is it Eco-friendly?
According to the Cannes Film Festival‘s website, the red carpet used to be changed three times a day, before each official screening in the Louis Lumière auditorium. For ecological reasons, all this changed in 2021. The carpet is now replaced once a day only, which represents a saving of 1400 kg of material over the duration of the festival.
4What Happens to it after the Festival?
For the last ten years, the carpet has been fully recycled after each Film Festival. The iconic red material finds a second life in the food, automotive and construction industries. Then in 2021 the Festival conducted an experiment to promote its reuse. It is now collected by a local association that specializes in the reuse of materials in the cultural and educational sectors of the PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur) region.
Cleaned and reconditioned, the carpet is given a new lease of life as a décor backdrop. And as a decorative element for graduation ceremonies. As the festival organizers are proud to point out, Cannes’ red carpet has now become part of the zero waste approach: reduce, reuse and recycle.
INSIDER TIP: If you’re a real aficionado of the Cannes Film Festival, you can watch the archives of past film festivals dating all the way back to 1949 by clicking here
One of my personal favourites is Sean Connery‘s arrival on the Boulevard de la Croisette in May 1965 and an interview about his role as James Bond. Here is a snapshot from a France 3 news report. Which one will you choose?
