Cannes film festival bans nudity on the red carpet

WEB DESK: Just hours before the Cannes film festival’s grand opening on Tuesday, an update on the Cannes website announced a ban on nudity across all festival spaces, including the red carpet.

In recent years, one fashion trend has ruled red carpets more than any other — the “naked” dress. These sheer, skin-revealing outfits have been a go-to choice for celebrities seeking headlines. But this year, the Cannes Film Festival has hit pause on the trend.

Organisers say the move was made “for decency reasons,” and it’s expected to dramatically change how stars dress at this year’s event.

Last year’s Cannes red carpet saw the likes of Bella Hadid in a sheer Saint Laurent halter dress, photographer Nadia Lee Cohen in a see-through knit gown, and Vicky Krieps in a transparent boudoir-style Armani Privé piece.

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Whether such dresses will pass the new rules is now unclear. After all, not all “naked” dresses reveal the same amount — and that’s where the confusion begins.

The updated dress code doesn’t spell out exactly what counts as “nudity.” Would a dress printed with a naked image, like those from Jean-Paul Gaultier in the 1990s, cross the line? Or is the rule only about actual skin being visible? Does a glimpse of a nipple — like Florence Pugh’s viral pink Valentino moment — mean a star could be turned away?

Along with the nudity clause, Cannes has also banned “voluminous” outfits with long trains. This suggests organisers are tightening the reins not just on risqué fashion but also on anything that could disrupt the event’s formal flow. The new guidelines may be a reaction to more extreme looks — like Bianca Censori’s see-through net dress at the Grammys, which skipped subtlety entirely in favour of pure shock value.

It seems Cannes wants to keep such bold statements off its red carpet and back on the beach where they belong.