when does the red carpet start for the oscars

The 2026 Oscars red carpet coverage starts about 30 minutes before the ceremony, at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 15, 2026, on ABC, with additional earlier coverage on E! starting in the afternoon.

Quick Scoop

• Official Oscars ceremony time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

• Main red carpet pre-show on ABC: 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT, branded as the official live red carpet show.

• Earlier red carpet coverage: E! begins with brunch-style and pre‑pre‑show coverage from around 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, then a bigger “Live From E!: Oscars 2026” from 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

• UK timing: red carpet on ITV starts around 22:15 GMT, with the ceremony at 23:00 GMT.

So if you just want the main “everyone’s arriving in full glam” window, tune in about half an hour before the ceremony; if you want all the outfits, interviews, and early arrivals, you can start watching E!’s red carpet blocks a few hours earlier.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.