Stars Gather for Chanel and Charles Finch's 17th Pre-Oscar Dinner

The iconic Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills hosted the exclusive event on the night before the Academy Awards.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:42am

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The 17th annual pre-Oscar dinner co-hosted by Chanel and film producer Charles Finch drew a star-studded crowd to the Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel on the Saturday night before the Oscars. Celebrities like Teyana Taylor, Mick Jagger, Kristen Stewart, and Wagner Moura mingled on the patio, which was packed with Oscar nominees, winners, filmmakers, and other luminaries. The intimate gathering served as a prelude to the big awards show the next day.

Why it matters

The Chanel and Charles Finch pre-Oscar dinner has become one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood, bringing together the who's who of the film industry on the eve of the Academy Awards. The event celebrates the art of storytelling and the collaborative spirit of filmmaking, showcasing Chanel's longstanding ties to cinema dating back to the 1930s.

The details

The patio of the iconic Polo Lounge was abuzz with activity as guests sipped drinks and networked. Notable attendees included Jessie Buckley, the favorite to win Best Actress, as well as Maggie Kang, the co-director of the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" which is expected to win Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. Other stars spotted at the event included Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Alba, Stellan Skarsgård, Nick Cave, Nicole Kidman, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Mick Jagger, and Joachim Trier.

  • The 17th annual pre-Oscar dinner was held on the Saturday night before the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony.

The players

Chanel

A French fashion house that has been tied to cinema for nearly a century, with founder Gabrielle Chanel designing dresses for Hollywood stars as early as the 1930s. Chanel continues to support independent filmmaking and film festivals today.

Charles Finch

A film producer who started throwing pre-Oscar parties around 30 years ago, mostly for international filmmakers who didn't have anywhere to go. His partnership with Chanel has helped make the event one of the hottest tickets in town.

Jessie Buckley

An actress who is the favorite to win Best Actress at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Maggie Kang

The co-director of the animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters," which is expected to win Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Oscars.

Jeff Bezos

The billionaire founder of Amazon.

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What they’re saying

“It's like a prelude to tomorrow, right?”

— Jessie Buckley

“It's epic. It's a lot of drama. I had tears just watching the rehearsal. It was really amazing. It's going to be a big cultural moment.”

— Maggie Kang, Co-director, "KPop Demon Hunters"

“Functioning in like, you know, this sort of industry, business, Hollywood slash fashion world as a kiddo is a bizarro, and with them it's always felt incredibly authentic and sort of from a storyteller's perspective, and so it doesn't surprise me that they want to support storytellers.”

— Kristen Stewart

“Being on a film set reminds you that cinema is a universal language. On the film I'm working on now, the crew includes British, American, French, and Portuguese artisans — all united by one goal: to bring a story to life. That spirit is what tonight is about — and how this dinner originated: celebrating cinema, storytelling, and the storytellers who make the magic happen.”

— Charles Finch, Film Producer

What’s next

The 2026 Academy Awards ceremony will take place the day after the Chanel and Charles Finch pre-Oscar dinner.

The takeaway

The Chanel and Charles Finch pre-Oscar dinner has become a must-attend event for Hollywood's elite, showcasing the fashion house's longstanding ties to the film industry and the collaborative spirit that brings the art of storytelling to life on the big screen.