Cannes Film Festival 2026 opens on the French Riviera with tributes and public remarks at the opening ceremony. Multiple outlets report that director Peter Jackson receives an honorary Palme d’Or as part of the festival’s opening-day programme. Jane Fonda also takes part in the ceremony, making remarks while the festival begins its run. Gong Li joins the opening proceedings as the festival is declared open on stage. In addition to the ceremony, reports note that actor and filmmaker James Franco returns to Cannes on the first day, appearing in connection with the festival’s opening activities. Coverage across sources focuses on the same set of headline events: Jackson’s honorary Palme d’Or, Fonda’s comments during the opening, and the declarations by Fonda and Gong Li. The reporting does not provide further detail in the excerpts beyond these first-day developments.