The main Oscars red carpet for 2026 starts at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 15, 2026, with some outlets starting earlier pre-show coverage.

Quick Scoop: When does the red carpet start?

For the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026):

  • Official Oscars red carpet show: 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on ABC.
  • Earlier “On the Red Carpet at the Oscars” coverage: starts around 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT on ABC and related feeds.
  • In Spain (peninsular time): red carpet starts approximately 21:30–22:00 , with the ceremony at 00:00.

So if you just want the big arrivals on the official show, tune in at 6:30 p.m. ET; if you love extended fashion and interviews, jump in a few hours earlier.

Why there are different “start times”

Red carpet coverage is layered, so you’ll see multiple start times floating around.

  • Network pre-pre shows (style, predictions, pundits) can begin around 12:30–1:00 p.m. PT on some channels like ABC/E!.
  • Extended red carpet blocks (E!, Access Hollywood, etc.) roll into the afternoon.
  • The official Oscars-branded red carpet show is the one that starts 30 minutes before the ceremony.

Think of it as: warm-up shows early afternoon, full-on carpet mid-afternoon (PT), then the ceremony.

If you’re watching from different places

Here’s a quick view of the main official red carpet show time:

[7][9][5] [9][5][7] [3]
Region Red carpet start Notes
US (Eastern) 6:30 p.m. ET Official Oscars red carpet on ABC/Hulu.
US (Pacific) 3:30 p.m. PT Live from Los Angeles, same show as ET.
Spain (peninsular) 21:30–22:00 Approximate red carpet window before 00:00 gala.
Always double-check your local listings the day of, since networks sometimes tweak exact start times.

Forum / trending context

On forums and social feeds, people are:

“When does the red carpet start if I only care about the dresses, not the whole show?”

For that crowd, the sweet spot is usually about an hour before the official start (so around 5:30–6:30 p.m. ET), when the biggest stars tend to arrive and interviews are in full swing.

Others like to put it on from the first pre-show in the afternoon and let it run in the background while getting ready, then switch focus once the official red carpet kicks in.

TL;DR:
If your question is “when does the red carpet start?” for Oscars 2026, the key time is 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT for the official show, with earlier coverage starting mid-afternoon on major entertainment networks.

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