Cannes: Ruth Negga, Sharon Stone, Travolta
- The New York Times reported today that Ruth Negga, Sharon Stone and John Travolta appeared on Cannes red carpets during the festival's opening week. - Vogue wrote that the '50+ crowd' dominated fashion narratives at Cannes, framing mature stars as prominent presences on May 20 coverage this week. - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is now expected to appear at Cannes' closing ceremony instead of opening-week events, sources said. (nytimes.com)
Ruth Negga walked the Cannes Film Festival red carpet during the event's opening week, joining a roster of Hollywood veterans drawing early attention on the Croisette. Sharon Stone appeared alongside her at multiple red carpet events in the festival's first week, with photographers capturing both in standout looks amid premieres (; ). John Travolta also hit the red carpets during that period, highlighted in photo galleries as one of the prominent names setting the tone for week one coverage. Vogue coverage on May 20 framed these appearances as part of a broader "50+ crowd" dominating fashion narratives, calling the mature stars' "tasteful, elegant" dressing a defining story of Cannes 2026 so far. The New York Times gallery specifically lists Negga, Stone, and Travolta among standouts photographed in the festival's early days, alongside other names like Demi Moore at the May 20 world premiere of *The Man I Love* directed by Ira Sachs (; ). Entertainment Now's roundup echoes this, naming Travolta and Moore as headline red carpet figures from the opening week, with images circulating widely across style and entertainment outlets. This older-star prominence contrasts with fan speculation around absences: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan skipped opening-week events and is now expected at the closing ceremony, per reports from Zee News and The Times of India citing sources close to her schedule (; ). Cannes 2026 kicked off earlier this week in standard fashion—premieres at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, daily red carpets, and competition films rolling out—with these celebrity sightings fueling immediate buzz before jury deliberations heat up. Ringer Dish podcast host Amanda, reporting live from Cannes, noted on a recent episode that early headlines centered on "which celebrities are in attendance and who has already made headlines," underscoring the festival's dual role as film event and visibility platform. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's delayed arrival keeps her as a marquee watch for the closing ceremony, typically held on the festival's final weekend—expected late May 2026—where palm d'Or awards and final red carpets cap the event.
