The venice film festival red carpet opened in spectacular fashion on September 2, 2026, as George and Amal Clooney joined an international lineup of stars for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The festival runs September 2 through September 12 on the Lido di Venezia, with Danny Boyle’s Ink serving as the opening film.
Venice immediately delivered the combination of Hollywood star power, couture fashion and cinematic ceremony that makes its opening-night carpet one of the most closely watched events of awards season.
George Clooney received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the opening ceremony. Laura Dern presented the honor, adding another major Hollywood name to an evening already packed with celebrity arrivals.
The first night also featured Ink stars Guy Pearce, Jack O’Connell and Claire Foy, along with Jonathan Bailey, Nina Dobrev, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bianca Balti, Alessandra Ambrosio and other prominent guests.
George and Amal Clooney Make the Biggest Opening-Night Statement
George and Amal Clooney quickly became the defining couple of the opening-night carpet.
George wore a classic Giorgio Armani tuxedo for the ceremony honoring his career. Amal chose a custom Tom Ford black gown designed by Haider Ackermann, creating a coordinated black-tie appearance with her husband.
Amal’s gown used a column silhouette with sculptural pleating, black silk taffeta and transparent georgette detailing. She completed the look with Tom Ford shoes and a matching clutch.
The couple had already attracted attention before the ceremony when they arrived in Venice by water taxi. Their arrival reinforced the distinctive visual appeal of the festival, where celebrity arrivals often become part of the spectacle.
On the carpet, George also spent time greeting fans and signing autographs. His relaxed interaction with the crowd added a personal moment to an otherwise highly formal evening.
Their appearance carried particular significance because George’s lifetime achievement ceremony was one of the major events of the festival’s opening night.
Claire Foy Brings Old-School Hollywood Glamour to Venice
Claire Foy was another standout at the opening-night premiere of Ink.
The British actress wore a custom Bottega Veneta red gown paired with matching leather gloves. Swarovski jewelry and Christian Louboutin shoes completed the look.
The monochromatic styling gave Foy a strong visual presence on the carpet. The combination of saturated red, long gloves and a structured evening silhouette also fitted the formal atmosphere of the festival’s opening ceremony.
Foy stars in Ink alongside Guy Pearce and Jack O’Connell. The film received its world premiere on September 2 as the opening film of the 83rd festival.
The film centers on Rupert Murdoch’s 1969 acquisition of the British newspaper The Sun and the rise of a more sensational style of tabloid journalism. Pearce portrays Murdoch, while O’Connell plays editor Larry Lamb.
That made the Ink premiere both a major cinematic event and the central red-carpet gathering of opening night.
Jonathan Bailey Turns Heads on the Opening Carpet
Jonathan Bailey also attracted significant attention when he arrived for the opening-night festivities.
Bailey wore Giorgio Armani, appearing in a relaxed interpretation of formal menswear. His look combined traditional tailoring with a more contemporary attitude, helping him stand out among the evening’s tuxedos.
The actor’s appearance generated an enthusiastic response from fans gathered around the festival venue. His presence added another major Hollywood and international entertainment name to a carpet already dominated by established stars.
Bailey’s look demonstrated one of the strongest themes of the opening evening: classic formalwear remained important, but several guests used styling, accessories and relaxed tailoring to create individual looks.
Nina Dobrev Adds Drama With Armani Privé
Nina Dobrev brought another major fashion moment to the Ink premiere.
The actress wore a black strapless sequined gown with a flowing green tulle train. The dramatic train gave the otherwise dark look a distinctive visual contrast as she posed for photographers.
Dobrev’s appearance quickly became part of the opening-night fashion conversation. Her gown demonstrated how the 2026 carpet has already embraced dramatic evening silhouettes without abandoning traditional black-tie glamour.
The look also reflected the festival’s continuing importance as a meeting point for entertainment and fashion. Designers and luxury houses use Venice premieres to place new creations in front of international audiences, photographers and entertainment media.
Maggie Gyllenhaal Brings a Formal Look as Jury President
Maggie Gyllenhaal arrived not simply as a celebrity guest but as the president of the festival’s international jury.
Gyllenhaal wore a black Celine gown for the opening ceremony. Her position made her appearance particularly prominent because the jury will ultimately determine the winners of the festival’s main competition.
Her presence also gave the opening ceremony a strong connection to the competition itself. Gyllenhaal has previously directed The Lost Daughter, and she is leading the jury during a festival that has already drawn considerable attention to representation within its competition lineup.
For the carpet, her understated black gown contrasted with some of the evening’s more elaborate looks. The styling emphasized a polished, formal appearance appropriate for the jury president.
Bianca Balti Makes One of the Evening’s Most Dramatic Entrances
Bianca Balti delivered one of the most visually striking looks of opening night.
The Italian model appeared in a pale pink Ilya Migmoon gown featuring dramatic feathered wings. The unusual design immediately distinguished her from the more traditional gowns on display.
Her appearance reinforced Venice’s reputation for allowing fashion to become part of the entertainment surrounding major premieres.
While some stars opted for classic black, red or sharply tailored eveningwear, Balti embraced a theatrical approach. Her look became one of the evening’s most photographed fashion moments.
Brittany Snow and Chase Sui Wonders Join the Red-Carpet Lineup
Brittany Snow also attended the Ink premiere in a deep-V gown with sequin detailing. Her appearance added another polished evening look to the opening-night lineup.
Chase Sui Wonders took a different approach. The actress appeared in a look that drew attention to her updated hairstyle, including baby bangs, while maintaining the formal character expected at the premiere.
Their appearances illustrated the range of styling choices on the first major carpet of the festival. Venice does not impose a single visual formula. Instead, stars use premieres to balance traditional formalwear with contemporary fashion choices.
Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce Represent the Opening Film
The central film contingent included Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce, two of the leading performers in Ink.
O’Connell appeared in a classic black tuxedo with a scarf incorporated into his formal look. Pearce attended alongside director Danny Boyle and fellow cast members for the world premiere.
Their presence gave the opening carpet its strongest direct connection to the film being premiered.
Ink subsequently received a strong audience response at its Venice premiere. Reports from the opening screening described a standing ovation lasting several minutes.
The film’s arrival therefore established an early combination of red-carpet glamour and serious awards-season interest.
Laura Dern Adds Another Major Hollywood Presence
Laura Dern was another central figure on opening night.
She attended the ceremony in which she presented George Clooney with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Dern also appeared on the carpet in a pink ensemble that stood apart from the large number of black gowns and tuxedos.
Her role in the ceremony gave the evening an especially personal Hollywood connection. Dern and Clooney have worked together, including on Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, and their longstanding friendship added significance to the presentation.
Her appearance also became one of the early fashion highlights documented from the 2026 festival.
What the Opening Night Says About Venice Fashion
The first red-carpet appearances of 2026 established several clear visual trends.
Classic black remains central to Venice eveningwear. George Clooney, Amal Clooney and Maggie Gyllenhaal all demonstrated different interpretations of formal black looks. At the same time, stars such as Claire Foy and Laura Dern introduced stronger color statements.
The opening carpet also showed a renewed interest in distinctive silhouettes and styling details.
Among the most notable examples were:
- Amal Clooney’s sculptural black Tom Ford gown
- Claire Foy’s red Bottega Veneta gown and matching gloves
- Nina Dobrev’s black sequined gown with a green tulle train
- Bianca Balti’s pale pink feathered look
- Jonathan Bailey’s relaxed Armani formalwear
- George Clooney’s classic Armani tuxedo
These looks helped make the opening night more than a procession of premiere guests. They created a visual record of the fashion direction surrounding the festival’s 2026 edition.
Venice Red Carpet Coverage Continues Through September 12
The opening night was only the beginning of the 2026 festival.
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival continues on the Lido through September 12. Its official program includes the Venezia 83 competition, Venice Open, Orizzonti, Venice Spotlight, Venice Classics, Venice Immersive and other sections.
That schedule means additional major premieres and celebrity appearances will continue throughout the festival.
Several high-profile productions are already drawing attention, including Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime and Florian Zeller’s Bunker. Primetime stars Robert Pattinson, while Bunker features Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
As those films reach their premieres, their casts are expected to add new fashion moments to the already busy opening chapter.
For U.S. audiences following awards-season developments, Venice remains especially important because the festival provides an early stage for films that can become major contenders later in the year. The carpets also give audiences an immediate look at the fashion choices of actors, filmmakers and other international guests.
Why the 2026 Opening Carpet Matters
The first evening demonstrated why Venice continues to command attention from both the entertainment and fashion industries.
George Clooney’s lifetime achievement honor gave the ceremony a major Hollywood centerpiece. Ink supplied the opening-night premiere. Meanwhile, stars including Amal Clooney, Claire Foy, Jonathan Bailey, Nina Dobrev, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern and Bianca Balti ensured that photographers had no shortage of high-profile arrivals.
The combination of established stars, major film premieres and high-fashion appearances created a strong opening to the festival.
More importantly, the event is still underway. The first-night looks offer only an early snapshot of what will become a much larger collection of celebrity fashion moments as more films premiere on the Lido.
The Venice Film Festival red carpet has started the 2026 season with major stars, memorable fashion and a strong cinematic opening—stay tuned for the next wave of standout arrivals and premiere-night looks.