Small change in the dates for the 2018 Festival de Cannes: opening on tuesday May 8

The 71st Festival de Cannes will take place from Tuesday, 8th May to Saturday, 19th May 2018. It will start one day earlier than in previous years, but will run for exactly the same length of time.

The opening will therefore take place on the evening of Tuesday, 8th May and the awards ceremony will be on Saturday, 19th May.
 

"Following 2017’s anniversary edition, the Festival is beginning a new period in its history," says Festival President Pierre Lescure. "We intend to renew the principles of our organisation as much as possible, while continuing to question the cinema of our age and to be present through its upheavals."
 

This new schedule will allow us to rebalance the two weeks of the event and to bring new energy to the proceedings.

What is more, starting on a Tuesday will allow us to hold an additional gala evening before the Festival weekend and to organise previews of the opening film throughout France.

Finally, bringing forward the announcement of awards by one day, to Saturday evening, will increase its prestige, while at the same time giving the closing film better exposure.