Broadway Meets the Croisette: Blood/Love Makes Historic Debut at Cannes with Immersive Vampire Pop-Opera

Written by: Tom White

In a bold moment of creative crossover, Blood/Love became the first theatrical production in history to debut at the Cannes Film Festival—an event long revered for celebrating global cinema. On Saturday, May 17, at the Villa des Étoiles, just steps from the iconic Carlton Hotel, the production broke new ground with a one-night-only immersive launch that brought the pulse of Broadway to the Croisette.

Far from a standard stage show, Blood/Love reimagines the vampire myth through the lens of modern rock and pop-opera. Created by performer and visionary Carey Sharpe, the event fused live performance, fashion-forward visuals, and nightlife culture into a singular experience. Guests were not merely spectators—they were immersed in a mythological world of music, emotion, and shadowed beauty.

“This isn’t just a show, it’s an experience,” said Sharpe. “To announce our New York run of Blood/Love during Cannes, in this way, is a dream. We wanted to create a full-body experience where emotion, fashion, and fantasy could be felt in every corner. This show is unique and launching it in this way feels true to what we are trying to embody with the production.”

The evening’s main performance featured Grammy-nominated musician Dru DeCaro, whose live renditions of original compositions created a cinematic soundscape that guided guests through the emotional arc of the story. The villa’s moody lighting, layered textures, and gothic ambiance enhanced the narrative, pulling the audience deeper into the underworld of Blood/Love.

After the performance, guests transitioned into an afterparty curated by Andrea Fabrizii, CAM Sugar’s A&R and Catalogue Curator, whose DJ set kept the energy high well into the night. The party featured casino-style games, specialty cocktails, and curated canapés—all themed to align with the world of the show. The transformation of the venue into a stylized nightlife space echoed the theatricality of the performance, maintaining the immersive tone throughout the evening.

The guest list included a mix of celebrities, creatives, and industry insiders, underscoring the growing intersection between theater and film. Attendees included Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Yellowstone star Ian Bohen, Selling Sunset’s Jason Oppenheim with girlfriend Jessica Vargas, media personality Hofit Golan, singer and actress Shannon K, British socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, and producer Maria Soccor. Also present were actor Elizabeth Guest and her parents Pamela and Nicholas Guest, adding to the event’s generational Hollywood presence.

“Dress to Slay” was the evening’s style directive—and guests delivered. Drawing inspiration from the show’s aesthetic, attendees arrived in fashion-forward interpretations of gothic glamour. Rich textures, sharp silhouettes, dramatic makeup, and couture accents created an atmosphere that was part runway, part ritual. The villa became a living embodiment of the show’s tone—dark, elegant, and theatrical.

While Cannes has seen countless afterparties and high-fashion soirées, Blood/Love carved out something new: a theatrical moment with the DNA of a cultural movement. Rather than relying on traditional marketing, the show used the Cannes platform to engage a global audience in real time, presenting a glimpse into its story world in a way that was both strategic and cinematic.

Already gaining attention from outlets such as Secret Los Angeles, Cultural Daily, and BroadwayWorld, Blood/Love is set to premiere in New York in 2026. Its Cannes debut not only introduced international audiences to its narrative, but also signaled a shift in how theater can be presented and promoted on the world stage. The production’s fusion of live storytelling, celebrity engagement, and visual spectacle makes it a standout in both theatrical and cinematic circles.

As Cannes continues to evolve and embrace new forms of artistry, Blood/Love stands as a milestone—proof that theater can travel, transform, and take root in the most unexpected of places.

To explore more about Blood/Love, visit bloodlove.com.

Photo credit: Blood/Love