Le Red carpet , the Palme d'Or, celebrities from all sides and stars in their eyes. For several decades, Cannes has transformed itself each year into the world capital of cinema, welcoming directors, actors, professionals of the 7th art and film buffs from all over the world. The 2025 edition will run from May 13 to 24. This gathering of cinematographic excellence highlights, rewards and even consecrates bold, innovative and artistic works that make us go through all the emotions and remind us why we love cinema. The Cannes Film Festival, a showcase for world creation that also passes through these parallel sections, but whose film selections are just as accomplished and anticipated: the Critique Week of which French Touch is a partner, the Quinzaine des Cinéastes and ACID Cannes. It's also a good time for business meetings, with a new feature this year: the first edition of the Immersive Market, the branch of the Film Market entirely dedicated to immersive works (the immersive competition will also take place, for the second time).

Experiencing this major film festival also means connecting with the city that hosts it and living for a while to the rhythm of the event, reconnecting with the imagination it conveys: the Côte d'Azur, the French Riviera... But why does the Cannes Film Festival... take place in Cannes? La French Touch tells you how the city established itself as the ideal location for a major gathering of lovers of the big screen.

A choice based on a post-war context

The first edition of the Cannes Film Festival was supposed to take place in 1939, but the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, triggering World War II, prevented it: the organizers were forced to cancel the festival three days after its opening. It has therefore officially existed since 2. A period when Italy was the reference in cinema, thanks to its famous Venice Film Festival, the first edition of which took place in 1946, hijacked by the Nazi and Fascist regimes as a propaganda tool. The Cannes Film Festival was born from this ambition to compete with the Venice Film Festival, to fight against the fascist influence in cinema, but also to bring together world creation in a Europe in reconstruction. It was Jean Zay, then Minister of National Education and Fine Arts in the Popular Front government, who initiated the organization, in France, of a large-scale film festival. The only remaining issue was to find the venue.

Cannes, the choice of luxury and sun

Several cities have applied to host the event, including Le Touquet, Aix-les-Bains, Deauville, Biarritz, Vichy, and even Algiers… but in the race for the festival, Cannes has managed to put forward undeniable assets! Its sunny climate, its Mediterranean atmosphere are attractive, as well as its already well-established reputation as a luxury tourist destination: many hotels and palaces are already able to accommodate personalities from all over the world. The Eden Rock (Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc) has been open since 1870 and is already an institution on the French Riviera, the same goes for the Majestic (Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes) ideally located on the Croisette and whose doors opened in 1926, the same for the Carlton (Carlton Cannes), a place of refinement and prestige dating back to 1911… Cannes wins!

The Carlton Cannes, or InterContinental Carlton Cannes, a luxury hotel on La Croisette in Cannes, southern France, circa 1960. (Photo by Adrian Ace Williams/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

How the Palais des Festivals brought Cannes into a new era

The first editions of the Cannes festival had the feel of an amateur festival, with films screened in a casino due to a lack of screening rooms. The hotels were there, and the rest of the infrastructure would follow a few decades later—Cannes wasn't built in a day!—and usher it, and its festival, into a new era.

Cannes, France - December 15 2019: Daytime exterior view of Palais Des Festivals

On the Croisette, it's impossible to miss the Palais des Festivals, a building designed by architects Hubert Benett and François Druet. Inaugurated on December 15, 1982, it provided Cannes with a modern and functional venue, perfectly suited to the Cannes Film Festival but also to many other international, cultural, and economic events. The Palais hosts various events throughout the year, such as the MIDEM, which brings together the global music industry, or MIPIM, which is aimed at hospitality professionals, to name just two events. More than just an event venue, it is the beating heart of the Cannes Film Festival, embodying the prestige of the 7th art.

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 25: An aerial view of the red carpet is pictured during the premiere arrivals for the film 'We Own The Night' at the Palais des Festivals during the 60th International Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2007 in Cannes, France. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)

In recent years, the Palais has undergone a transformation that has literally propelled Cannes into a new dimension. The modernization of its infrastructure, notably through the integration of an advanced 5G connectivity system, has revolutionized the experience for festival-goers and professionals. Today, the Palais is no longer simply a screening venue frozen in time, but a digital hub capable of supporting seamless and instant communication during events, regardless of their nature.

Furthermore, by facilitating the organization of events throughout the year—beyond the Cannes Film Festival—the Palais des Festivals transforms the city into a vibrant and dynamic destination. This successful diversification strategy now positions Cannes as a center of innovation and luxury not only for cinema, but also for all cultural and economic sectors, from advertising to hospitality. The city thus capitalizes on its image and this modernization to attract tourism and international partnerships, offering an enriched experience that goes well beyond the twelve days of the film festival.

So, why Cannes and not elsewhere? With its mild climate and substantial infrastructure, its image and reputation, the city offers a setting that's both idyllic and strategic, combining glamour, luxury, innovation, and business like no other. And this is only the 78th time... Enjoy the festival!