Elle Fanning Reveals Why She Can’t Make the 2026 Cannes Film Festival After Attending the Past 3 Years

THE RUNDOWN

• Elle Fanning revealed why she won’t be at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
• The actress made her debut 10 years ago and has been at the last three festivals.
• She was photographed filming The Nightingale earlier this week.

Elle Fanning made her Cannes Film Festival debut 10 years ago and has established herself as a regular attendee and a red carpet darling at its glitzy premieres. But for the first time in three years, Fanning won’t be at the French event. The actress and L’Oréal Paris ambassador revealed on Instagram that she can’t make it to the French Riviera this year.

“Sadly, my schedule has prevented me from traveling to Cannes this year, but I’m with my L’Oréal Paris Family in spirit,” she wrote. “It is always so special to share the red carpet with my fellow Ambassadors! Look forward to seeing you all work the Palais steps, because you’re worth it! @lorealparis.”

Fanning is currently filming The Nightingale, which she is starring in and producing with her sister, Dakota Fanning, through their company Lewellen Pictures. She was photographed shooting the project in Budapest, Hungary, earlier this week.

The two actresses recently spoke to ELLE about the project, with Elle Fanning saying, “We’re really excited for The Nightingale, which is going to be a big step for us. We were going to film it years ago, but then the pandemic happened. Back then, we weren’t signed on as producers; the company hadn’t formed yet. And now it feels like this is the perfect time to finally do this together, and act together, and get to produce it and have more say.”

At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Joachim Trier, the director of Fanning’s project Sentimental Value, won the Grand Prix. She joined him and her co-stars as they posed with the trophy.

Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Joachim Trier, Renate Reinsve, and Stellan Skarsgård posing with the Grand Prix Award at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Later, she spoke to Numéro about her experience at the festival representing the project and taking in the crowd’s reaction. “I’m so proud of this film. I love it, and I loved making it,” she said. “Joachim Trier has directed so many brilliant films. I’ve wanted to work with him for a long time. So I feel very lucky I had the chance to be part of it. We’re all here with the whole team. Honestly, it was really moving to witness such a warm reception [a nearly 20-minute standing ovation] at the premiere, because you never know how people will react to a film. I knew I loved it from the start. I had already seen it, but you never know. It was really special. Being in Cannes, a place that means a lot to me, made the experience even more special.”