Festival de Cannes 2027

Cannes Film Festival by the numbers

Every figure links to where it came from. Attendance for an event that has not happened is a projection, and each row says so rather than presenting it as a count.

• Dates11 to 22 May

  Official Festival de Cannes site. Twelve days at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres. Festival de Cannes

• Attendance35,000+

  Professionals and festival-goers across the twelve days, per the official site. Substantially larger than Cannes Lions in the same venue. Festival de Cannes

• AccessAccreditation

  Entry runs through accreditation categories rather than a general public ticket. The official site directs applicants to its accreditations section. Festival de Cannes

• PricingNot published

  No accreditation fee schedule was confirmed against an official page for this entry, so none is quoted. Festival de Cannes

What is Cannes Film Festival?

The Festival de Cannes is the film industry's most significant annual gathering, running 11 to 22 May 2027 at the Palais des Festivals. More than 35,000 professionals and festival-goers attend across twelve days. The critical practical fact is access: Cannes is an accredited festival, not a ticketed one, so unlike Venice you cannot simply buy your way into competition screenings.

Who goes to Cannes Film Festival?

Sales agents, distributors, producers, financiers, festival programmers, press and talent. The Marche du Film, the industry market that runs alongside, is where a large share of the world's independent film financing and distribution deals are actually transacted, and for many attendees the market rather than the competition is the reason to travel.

Cannes Film Festival side events

The Croisette fills with production company parties, national film body receptions, yacht hospitality and sales screenings, most of them invitation-only. Parallel sections including the Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week run their own programmes alongside the official selection. Aspire does not run any of it.

Cannes Film Festival tickets and costs

Access is by accreditation, applied for through the official site in categories with their own criteria, rather than by buying a public ticket. No fee schedule was confirmed for this entry. Accommodation is the dominant cost: Croisette rates rise several times over and the good stock goes roughly a year ahead. Many attendees stay in Antibes, Juan-les-Pins or Nice and commute by train.

Getting to Palais des Festivals et des Congres

Nice Cote d'Azur airport is about 30 minutes by road, longer during the festival, with a direct bus and a train via Nice-Ville. The Palais is on the seafront in central Cannes and everything festival-related is walkable. Driving into Cannes during the festival is not worth attempting.

Where to stay for Cannes Film Festival

On or near the Croisette if budget allows, since the Palais and the market are both there. Antibes, Juan-les-Pins and Nice are materially cheaper and connected by train, adding 20 to 40 minutes each way. Book about a year ahead; for Cannes in May that is not an exaggeration.

What to know before booking Cannes Film Festival

Do not confuse this with Cannes Lions. They share the Palais des Festivals but are entirely different events run by different organisations: Festival de Cannes is the film festival in May, run by Festival de Cannes; Cannes Lions is the advertising awards festival in June, owned by Informa. Booking accommodation against the wrong one is an expensive mistake and an easy one to make.

Cannes Film Festival: common questions