Irish star Jessie Buckley brought a welcome splash of colour to the Bafta red carpet in a Grecian-style gown.
Buckley – who won the best actress award for her role in Hamnet – was one of the many stars descending on London’s Royal Festival Hall for the 79th British Academy Film Awards.
Buckley wore an electric blue dress with a high neckline, bedazzled brooches on the shoulders and an unexpected scooped back.
Her costar Paul Mescal, who was nominated for best actor, wore loose-fitting black suit with a simple white shirt underneath, and was accompanied by partner Gracie Abrams.
Cillian Murphy sported a black suit and white shirt with matching white tie, while Maura Higgins stood out in a red satin dress. Also wearing red was Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell.
Elsewhere, the trend for risqué outfits dominated.
Emma Stone braved the February London weather in a black dress featuring a halter-neck, a keyhole cut-out and a daring backless design, while Carey Mulligan wore a navy halter-neck that was backless save for one thin strap, paired with a relaxed bob hairstyle.
Up-and-comer Chase Infiniti continued her red carpet relationship with luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton with a burgundy-coloured gown featuring a strapless design and a dramatic fishtail.
Adolescence star Erin Doherty wore an unusual structured look, also by Louis Vuitton: a black dress with a statement skirt and low neckline.
The red carpet was not short of daring men’s wear either, led by host Alan Cumming with a modern take on traditional suiting.
[ ‘I share this with my daughter’: Jessie Buckley wins best actress at 2026 BaftasOpens in new window ]
His black overcoat – worn on top of a black shirt and trousers – had a splash of white at the bottom, and was covered in long fringing. The monochromatic outfit had a welcome injection of colour thanks to dyed pink, blue and white coloured curls in his gelled-down hair, and was completed with a statement brooch instead of a tie. -PA
Jessie Buckley at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Ian West/PA Wire 
Cillian Murphy at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Maura Higgins at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Maggie O’Farrell at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Teyana Taylor at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Emma Stone at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Carey Mulligan at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Rose Byrne at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Ian West/PA Wire 
Kerry Washington at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Chase Infiniti at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA 
Erin Doherty at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning
/PA Wire 
Renate Reinsve at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning
/PA Wire 
Emily Watson at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA 
Sadie Sink at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Riz Ahmed at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Alicia Vikander Riz Ahmed at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: James Manning/PA Wire 
Maggie Gyllenhaal at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Kathryn Hahn at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Alan Cumming at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Ian West/PA Wire 
Timothée Chalamet at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images 
Riz Ahmed at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA