Last night 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards provided plenty for us to talk about from Hard Launches to Royal Appearances. Let’s look back at the 10 most iconic BAFTA red carpet moments of all time…
As celebrities descended on London’s Royal Festival Hall for the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards, the red carpet once again proved it is far more than a glamorous walkway. It is a stage for cultural moments that ripple far beyond entertainment. Singer Gracie Abrams and actor Paul Mescal made their long-awaited hard launch, instantly dominating headlines. Elsewhere, Robert Aramayo’s shock Best Actor win and Ryan Coogler’s historic haul for Sinners confirmed this as one of the most talked-about BAFTA nights in years.
Tagvenue, the UK’s leading event marketplace, has identified the ten most unforgettable BAFTA red carpet moments over the years – and what each tells us about the power of live events.
10 most iconic BAFTA red carpet moments
1.Gracie Abrams & Paul Mescal: The hard launch (2026)
After months of speculation, Abrams and Mescal stepped out hand-in-hand for their first official red carpet appearance together. Mescal in sleek black Prada, Abrams in an elegant embroidered gown. The internet’s favourite soft-launch became a full red carpet confirmation.
Event Insight: Award shows remain one of the most powerful stages for relationship reveals and brand moments alike. High-profile arrivals create cultural moments that event planners replicate through Hollywood Glamour experiences and invitation-only launches.
2. Prince William & Kate Middleton’s appearances (2023 & 2026)
The Princess of Wales has become one of the most scrutinised BAFTA red carpet presences of recent years – her return this year after a period away generated significant global attention, with every detail of her appearance analysed across fashion and news media.
Event Insight: Prestige attendance elevates an event’s perceived status. Brands increasingly factor high-profile associations into their venue choices for corporate galas and exclusive launches.
3. Helena Bonham Carter’s gloriously chaotic appearances (Late 1990sโ2000s)
While others coordinated their looks to the ceremony’s black-tie convention, Helena Bonham Carter arrived at successive BAFTAs with mismatched accessories, characteristically unkempt styling, and cheerful defiance toward the expected. Her look at the 2000 BAFTAs, a sequin-and-sheer slip dress with t-bar Mary Janes, became a reference point for eccentric British red carpet style.
Event Insight: Not every event needs to follow the template. A strong, authentic identity creates more memorable experiences than trend-chasing. Demand for character-led, unconventional event concepts is growing steadily on Tagvenue.
4. Princess Diana: The Royal premiere circuit (1980sโ1990s)
Diana’s presence on London’s cultural event circuit throughout the 1980s and 1990s – from sparkling Bruce Oldfield gowns at film premieres to her increasingly bold post-divorce appearances – made her one of the defining figures of British red carpet history. She set the template for royal attendance at cultural events that Prince William and Catherine now embody every BAFTA season.
Event Insight: The most enduring events build legacies, not just moments. Heritage, recurring formats, and consistent quality create the kind of reputation that compounds over years – something Tagvenue sees reflected in sustained demand for historic London venues.
5. Joaquin Phoenix’s sustainability statement (2020)
Phoenix rewore the same tuxedo throughout the entire 2020 awards season, making a deliberate and very public statement about fashion’s environmental impact. It brought sustainability into the red carpet conversation at a time when the industry was just beginning to grapple with it.
Event Insight: Eco-conscious event planning has moved from niche to mainstream expectation. Venue sustainability credentials, responsible catering, and carbon-conscious event design are now standard requirements in client briefs.
6. Cate Blanchett’s unmatched red carpet authority (2000โpresent)
Few figures embody the BAFTA red carpet’s specific blend of prestige and fashion intelligence quite like Cate. Over two decades she has delivered some of the most referenced looks in awards history. These include her re-wearing an embroidered Alexander McQueen top from the 2016 BAFTAs at Venice four years later. She also transformed a Louis Vuitton necklace into a harness over a dark purple gown at the 2024 ceremony.
Event Insight: Consistent, high-quality attendance compounds in value. Brands that build annual event identities, rather than one-off activations, generate the kind of lasting association that no single launch can achieve.
7. Lupita Nyong’o’s breakthrough style moment (2014)
Fresh from her Oscar win for 12 Years a Slave, Nyong’o became an instant fashion icon at the 2014 BAFTAs in her statuesque Christian Dior, bold jade green dress – proof that emerging talent can create as much cultural impact as an established star. Her red carpet presence that year was studied, referenced, and replicated across the fashion world.
Event Insight: First impressions at live events carry extraordinary weight. New brands use standout launch events to accelerate recognition in exactly the same way โ the right venue and visual identity at the right moment can define a brand for years.
8. The #BAFTAsSoWhite movement (2020)
The 2020 nominations, in which all 20 acting nominees were white, ignited an industry-wide conversation about representation and structural bias. It changed how BAFTA approached nominations going forward. By contrast, at the 2026 ceremony Ryan Coogler became the first Black winner of the Original Screenplay BAFTA, and Sinners became the most-decorated film from a Black director in the ceremony’s history.
Event Insight: Events are increasingly scrutinised for how authentically they reflect the audiences they serve. Representation, accessibility, and supplier diversity are now standard considerations in event briefs – not afterthoughts.
9. Kate Winslet’s timeless red carpet presence (Multiple Years)
Kate Winslet has been a BAFTA fixture for over two decades, consistently choosing understated British elegance over spectacle – a reminder that enduring quality makes just as lasting an impression as theatrical drama.
Event Insight: Timeless formats executed impeccably never go out of style. Classic gala dinners and heritage venue celebrations continue to command strong, consistent demand on Tagvenue year-round.
10. The 2021 virtual ceremony: An important reminder of what live events mean
The 74th BAFTAs were held in a near-empty Royal Albert Hall, with nominees joining via video link and canned applause replacing a real audience. There was no red carpet. The glamour, spontaneity, and electricity of a room full of people – all of it was absent. It was, in its own way, the most powerful argument the live events industry ever made for its own existence.
Event Insight: The 2021 BAFTAs demonstrated conclusively that spectacle cannot be digitised. The post-pandemic surge in event bookings on Tagvenue was an industry exhaling after being shown, starkly, what it had been missing.
Why BAFTA red carpets matter for the events Industry
Major cultural moments like the BAFTAs don’t just dominate entertainment headlines – they influence party and corporate event themes, drive demand for black-tie and Hollywood Glamour venues, shape experiential activations, and reinforce the irreplaceable value of in-person events. From celebrity hard launches to sustainability statements, the BAFTAs demonstrate how high-visibility live events shape culture – and culture shapes bookings.
London’s South Bank delights visitors and corporate event hosts alike with a wide choice of versatile venues such as The Royal Festival Hall which hosted the 2026 BAFTA ceremony. We have also featured top South Bank venues in PA Life magazine, including on the cover of our PA Life Summer 2025 Issue.
