At last, the 83rd Venice Film Festival has opened its doors, hosting the highest echelon of today’s cinema landscape, and with it some of the most anticipated red carpet looks of 2026. From 2 to 12 September, the annual festival has long served as a meeting point for champions of the creative world where film, art and fashion come together as one. But beyond the celebrations of the silver screen, the festival has become synonymous with iconic couture moments that will have us marking down the date on our fashion calendars every year. Organised by La Biennale di Venezia, this year’s programme is rich with a star-studded guest list and cinematic premieres that will spark cultural conversation.
Each year, some of the world’s greatest stars descend to the Venice red carpets, with George and Amal Clooney making an appearance having attended the festival for decades and been involved with the creation of several films that have been featured throughout history. The pair wore striking ensembles, with Amal fashioning a custom Tom Ford black gown while George wore a classic Giorgio Armani tuxedo. This year, George was granted the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award, a fitting reprise as the actor has immensely impacted today’s cultural and cinematographic landscape.
Also making an appearance was Kendall Jenner, making her Venice Film Festival debut sporting a Giorgio Armani where she attended the Wild Horse Nine screening. Also making his debut on the red carpet was Jonathan Bailey, who similarly fashioned a Giorgio Armani black tuxedo ensemble.
The festival marked the presence of several fashionable icons. Such as Carlos Sainz alongside his partner Rebecca Donaldson, and Laura Dern, who fashioned an elegant pink Prada gown with Cartier jewellery. Also making an appearance was Nina Dobrev, who wore an architecturally striking Armani Privé gown donned by black sequins and Claire Foy wearing an opulent red Bottega Veneta gown with Swarovski jewellery.
The Venice Film Festival remains a defining fixture on the annual cultural calendar, bringing together the worlds of cinema and fashion on one of the most glamorous stages in the world. Long established as a global arena for creative excellence to converge with fashion to take the centre stage—and this year is proving to be no different. Here is our roundup of the best looks from the Venice Film Festival so far.
This story originally appeared on GRAZIA Middle East.