Why did the 2023 Oscars have a champagne carpet?

Without a doubt, the ever-popular Oscars ceremony is Hollywood’s biggest night. Just last year, the 95th Academy Awards drew over 18 million viewers and became a night of unforgettable memories. Despite there being no larger-than-life slap that occurred and caused a stir, the ceremony introduced several large changes to their usual way of doing things.

The most noticeable of all these changes might have been the glaring fact that all the stars were not walking on the usual red carpet during the annual pre-show. Rather, the most notable celebrities in Hollywood were seen walking on a floor of white, beige, or as some are calling it, the “champagne carpet.” Granted, walking along a carpet made of actual champagne would be much more glorious (and yet, impossible), but tip-toeing across a long stretch of fabric that is most appealing to the naked eye is certainly a fresh feeling.

Over a year later, film buffs are still in awe of the aforementioned carpet, and many continue to wonder about the carpet champagne from last year, and why the decision was made to shed the signature red. Let’s take a look at the Oscars, and why the momentous decision was initially made.

Why did the Oscars ditch the red carpet?

There does not seem to be a practical reason that the red carpet has been scraped off of the floor after decades of use. Instead, the Associated Press reported that the color was changed based on a decision by two creative consultants, Raúl Àvila, the creative director for the Met Gala, and Lisa Love from Vogue. The carpet is also covered last year, which was most likely to cover the stars from any rain, but also to change the carpet’s appearance for the evening event.

People often struggle with sudden change, so it hardly comes as a surprise that people didn’t take the lack of a red carpet very well. One user pointed out that some of the outfits stars wore on the carpet might have been designed for red, and that they looked washed out with the champagne carpet in the background. They tweeted: “I feel like ppl were styled assuming it would be a red carpet bc this ‘champagne’ carpet is washing a lot of the paler dresses out #Oscars.”

Even though a fair amount of people spent considerable time complaining about the change, the stars didn’t seem to be phased at all. Of course, that didn’t stop Jimmy Kimmel from getting in a jibe at the carpet’s expense, jokingly saying: “I think the decision to go with a champagne carpet over a red carpet shows how confident we are that no blood will be shed,” referring to the 2022 Oscars incident where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. 

Despite the switch from red to champagne in regards to the official carpet, the ceremony was highly successful, with acclaimed feature Everything Everywhere All at Once winning seven Oscars throughout the night — including the Daniels winning for Best Director, Michelle Yeoh winning for Best Actress, and the film winning Best Picture.

All that being said, you have to wonder what color the Oscars carpet will be this year.