San Sebastián reached its finale on 26 September with an official closing ceremony and awards gala. Paz Vega and other familiar faces brought fashion into the spotlight, while readers will choose the standout look.
Bárbara Goenaga and Fernando Guallar hosted the public closing gala of the 2026 San Sebastián Festival on 26 September. The event brought together names from Spanish and international cinema, along with figures from the country's fashion scene. It was the festival's official closing ceremony and awards night, not a separate fashion appearance.
The red carpet also became a direct fashion vote. COOL will not choose the winner alone this time. Readers will decide which look gets the strongest reaction.
The final selection was smaller than the line-ups seen during the rest of the festival. Each appearance therefore carried more weight. The 2026 festival ran from 18 to 26 September, with the last evening covering the red carpet, the awards presentation and the end of the film programme.
The 2026 San Sebastián Festival ran from 18 to 26 September, concluding with its official closing ceremony and awards gala on 26 September.
Paz Vega led a group that also included Los Javis and actress Gabriela Andrada. Their appearances supplied the clearest fashion moments of the final red carpet. Those looks are now open to the audience's vote.
Agency photography distributed through Lusa and credited to AFP/EPA also places Vega at the awards ceremony in San Sebastián on 26 September. The picture is clear.
San Sebastián's link with Spanish fashion has become one of the festival's most visible features. The city gives designers and fashion firms a setting to show their work through actors and other prominent figures from cinema and culture. Spanish publications treated the final looks as a separate fashion story, with Vega among the guests singled out for attention.
The closing gala was presented as a public event hosted by Bárbara Goenaga and Fernando Guallar. RTVE’s coverage also reported that Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care received the festival’s top prize, the Concha de Oro, alongside recognition for acting and directing achievements.
The connection was plain at the closing ceremony. A red carpet appearance was more than a farewell to the film programme. It also showed the styling choices attached to each guest.
The official programme and festival coverage placed that fashion discussion inside a larger awards night. The main purpose of the evening was to recognise the year's films and filmmakers.
COOL has changed its usual role. Instead of naming the best-dressed guests itself, it gathered the looks that stood out during the finale and handed the final choice to readers.
The question is simple: which outfit defined the closing party of the San Sebastián Festival? The audience will provide the answer through its vote, rather than an editorial ranking.
The smaller guest selection created a sharper fashion picture than a crowded red carpet would have done. The result is a focused set of looks tied to Spanish cinema and style.
Fashion took an active place in the festival. Readers now have the final word.
