The 2026 Festival de Cannes will honor one of the most influential figures in entertainment history. Legendary performer Barbra Streisand will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or during the festival’s closing ceremony on May 23 at the Palais des Festivals.
Actor, director, producer, singer, and songwriter, Streisand has spent more than six decades shaping film, music, and popular culture. Her remarkable career includes two Academy Awards, 11 Golden Globes, 10 Grammys, and dozens of chart-topping albums. She also made history in 1977 as the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, and again in 1984 when she became the first woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Director.
Accepting the honor, Streisand said she felt both proud and humbled to join the group of past Honorary Palme d’Or recipients whose work inspired her. She noted that in challenging times, cinema can open hearts and minds, reminding audiences of both human fragility and resilience.
Streisand’s influence reaches far beyond the numbers. On screen, she has delivered unforgettable performances in films such as Funny Girl, The Way We Were, Hello, Dolly!, A Star Is Born, and The Owl and the Pussycat. Behind the camera, she directed groundbreaking projects including Yentl, The Prince of Tides, and The Mirror Has Two Faces. Yentl was especially significant—after securing the rights to the story in the 1960s, Streisand spent two decades bringing the film to life, ultimately directing, producing, and starring in a major Hollywood production at a time when few women were given such opportunities.
Her artistic journey began early. Streisand first captivated audiences as a teenage singer in New York cabarets, moved on to Broadway in her early twenties, and soon after made her film debut in Funny Girl, earning an Oscar for her performance.
Beyond the stage and screen, Streisand has long been active in philanthropy and advocacy. Through the Streisand Foundation and the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai, she supports causes including women’s health, environmental protection, civil rights, medical research, and arts education.
Festival President Iris Knobloch described Streisand as an artist whose work reflects both creative freedom and courage, adding that her career continues to inspire generations. Festival Director Thierry Frémaux called her “a global star and an artist who brings together Broadway, Hollywood, and the great tradition of the music hall.”
For the first time, the legendary performer will walk the Croisette to receive Cannes’ highest honorary tribute. And in true Streisand fashion, it will be a moment worthy of her famous greeting to the world:
“Hello, Gorgeous.”
