Cannes to announce festival winners at May 23 closing ceremony

Festival de Cannes will announce the winners of its 79th edition on Saturday, May 23, at the festival’s closing ceremony after a 12-day run on the French Riviera. The official festival release said the jury, chaired by South Korean director Park Chan-wook, will choose from 22 films in Competition. Actor Eye Haïdara will host the ceremony, the festival said, after also presenting the opening ceremony on May 12. The event is scheduled to close a festival that ran from May 12 to May 23, according to Cannes’ official program. ### When exactly are the prizes being handed out? Saturday, May 23, is the date Cannes set for its closing ceremony and main prize announcements. The festival said Park and his jury will unveil the winners list on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Cannes’ awards page said the winners of the 79th edition would be published online the same day. (festival-cannes.com) The ceremony begins at 8:15 p.m., according to the festival’s event schedule. Cannes said France 2 will broadcast the ceremony live in France and Brut. will carry it internationally. ### Who is deciding the Palme d’Or this year? Park Chan-wook is serving as president of the feature-film jury for the 79th Festival de Cannes. (festival-cannes.com) The festival described his appointment as a first for Korean cinema and said he and the jury will award the 2026 Palme d’Or as successor to the 2025 prize. (festival-cannes.com) The jury also includes Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Chloé Zhao, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé, Paul Laverty and Stellan Skarsgård, according to the official jury announcement. Cannes said that group is responsible for choosing among the 22 films in Competition. ### What is Eye Haïdara’s role in the ceremony? (festival-cannes.com) Eye Haïdara will host the closing ceremony, the festival said in its May 22 release. The same release said she also presented the opening ceremony on May 12, giving her both bookend roles for this year’s edition. (festival-cannes.com) The festival’s closing-night schedule repeats that billing, listing Haïdara as presenter of the ceremony that starts at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. ### How large is the Competition field? Twenty-two films are in Competition for the 2026 Palme d’Or, according to the festival’s closing-ceremony release and jury announcement. (festival-cannes.com) Cannes published the broader Official Selection on April 9 and said the Competition titles were part of the lineup unveiled in Paris that day. (festival-cannes.com) The festival’s program page says the 79th edition’s films and events were detailed at that April 9 press conference. Cannes has also published a screenings guide covering the May 12-23 run of the Official Selection. ### Where can viewers follow the result as it happens? France 2 and Brut. are the named broadcasters for the closing ceremony, according to Cannes’ official materials. (festival-cannes.com) The festival’s live page also says viewers can follow ceremonies, press conferences and other events through its official live coverage. (festival-cannes.com) Saturday’s next milestone is the publication of the winners list from the 22-film Competition, with Park Chan-wook’s jury announcing the prizes during the 8:15 p.m. closing ceremony hosted by Eye Haïdara. (festival-cannes.com 1) (festival-cannes.com 2)