Halle Berry revealed she had to change her outfit for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony on Tuesday due to a new dress code, saying her original look had "too big of a train."
Cannes announced that nudity and "excessively voluminous" clothing would not be tolerated on the red carpet this year. Gowns featuring long trains or similar elements that might cause traffic on the red carpet are now prohibited, according to Variety.
The rule change sent A-listers, including Berry, scrambling to change their outfits for the opening night gala.
"I had an amazing dress by Gupta that I cannot wear tonight because it's too big of a train," Berry told reporters. "I'm not going to break the rules. The nudity part is also probably a good rule."
The charter, which offers useful information for navigating the film festival, provides guidelines regarding the dress code.
"For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival," the guidelines for the event read, according to InStyle. "Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theater are not permitted. The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules."
On Monday, Cannes released a statement outlining the updated red carpet regulations, stating the changes align with both the festival's official guidelines and French legal requirements.
"This year, the Cannes Film Festival has made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect. The aim is not to regulate attire per se, but to prohibit full nudity on the red carpet, in accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law," said the new instructions from the festival.
Further, the festival said that it "reserves the right to deny access to individuals whose attire could obstruct the movement of other guests or complicate seating arrangements in the screening rooms."
In recent years, Cannes has drawn criticism for its red carpet dress codes, particularly the rule requiring "elegant" footwear at evening screenings. Critics argue the policy has disproportionately affected women, as "elegant" was often interpreted to mean high heels by the Palais guards. While low heels are now generally accepted, sneakers remain off-limits.