“Goodness gracious, it’s so hot, I’m so hot!” exclaimed Nicole Kidman as she stepped into the Sala Grande, the main Venice Film Festival theater, for the world premiere of her erotic thriller “Babygirl,” fanning her face and cooling her neck under the somewhat welcome (but not quite strong enough) air conditioning. “It’s so much cooler in here!” she then told a fan as she posed for a selfie.

As it turns out, Kidman was speaking for almost every person attending the festival.

If the buzzword of Venice last year was strikes, for 2024 it’s — unquestionably — sweat. Buckets of the stuff. So much so that even A-listers like Kidman, whose lofty existences should see them unconcerned by such a lowly matter as perspiration, have been struggling to cope.

“It’s the topic everyone is discussing in Venice,” says one stylist. “Everyone is sweating.”

An unusually long heatwave across Italy over the past week (caused by a lingering African high-pressure system, FYI) has sent temperatures soaring into the upper 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making much of the festival a sticky, dripping, soaked mess within seconds of being outside. Even under the shade there’s been no escape.

But while it might have been a somewhat unpleasant experience for the average festival-goer (especially those carrying heavy bags or taking the comically crowded water taxis back and forth from the Lido to the main city of Venice), consider the poor celebrities.

They've been making appearances at red carpet premieres and parties, decked out in high-fashion attire. But it's not just the outfits that have been turning heads; they've also been facing a sea of cameras, capturing every bead of sweat, glistening forehead, or damp spot in dazzling high-definition.

An insider revealed that A-listers have been telling their publicists they are “dreading the red carpet because of the heat.”

At the premiere for the Apple TV+ crime caper “Wolfs” on Sunday night, George Clooney was seen wiping sweat from his brow and fanning himself with his tuxedo jacket. At this premiere — and several others Variety witnessed — photographers came equipped with mini fans in an attempt to cool down their overheating subjects (one of which was reportedly seen being given to Brad Pitt’s girlfriend Ines de Ramon to help her cope).

But other attempts to stay cool have only made things more awkward for those trying to enjoy their red carpet moment. As producer David Hinojosa (who also produced “The Brutalist”) waited in the official — and rather toasty — festival car to be dropped off at the “Babygirl” premiere, he requested a bottle of San Pellegrino for some much-needed hydration. However, he found himself awkwardly clutching the bottle as he made his “movie star” exit from the vehicle in front of the cameras, who then caught him trying to hide it on the floor behind the billowing white dress of “Babygirl” director Halina Reijn. A friend subsequently sent him the video.

And even away from the festival and the glare of the lights, things aren't much better. One stylist notes that Venice is “full of paparazzi” from the minute stars land, meaning they have to quickly find a place to change as brands have likely given them outfits, sunglasses and other accessories for every occasion, including the “arriving look, the welcoming look and the red carpet look.” On that note, a publicist tells Variety she got off a water taxi in the main part of Venice to find “Guy Pearce dripping in sweat having selfies with other people drenched in sweat.”

However, there's an interesting — and sweaty — dilemma surrounding the attire many stars are sporting in Venice, which Giulletta Canzani Mora, founder of image and management company Good Sisters, describes as a clash between the “temporality of the Mostra and the temporality of fashion seasons.”

Essentially, since the festival occurs at the end of the summer, Mora explains brands primarily focus on promoting their autumn and winter collections. So, on the sweltering festival red carpet, the clothing options presented by fashion labels to their celebrity representatives haven’t exactly been loose, light linens or breezy cotton fabrics.

“We were presented with red carpet looks in velvet and wool, but we said, ‘No way! We can’t dress like this in this heat!’,” says Mora. Despite the objections, festival observers have seen many men sporting velvet tuxes (“I was worried for his life,” noted one).

But Mora — who is married to prominent French actor Jonathan Cohen — says she was working with Angelia Woreth, starring in Venice competition title “And Their Children After Time,” and allowed her client to face the humidity wearing jeans and a sequin jacket. “She was very hot,” she notes. “But it was a very important moment for her and she was determined to wear the outfit.”

It’s not only the outfits that are proving a problem.

“We're praying, that's all we can do,” says makeup artist Iván Gómez, a prominent makeup artist and hair stylist who has worked with Poppy Delevingne, as well as Úrsula Corberó, star of “Casa de Papel” who presented “El Jockey” at Venice. But what is he praying for? “That the makeup stays in place, because humidity is the worst condition, and combined with a festival setting where people get emotional … it’s a recipe for sweat.”

“Out of all the festivals I do, Venice is the worst because of humidity. Here it’s hell,” notes Gómez, who also expresses frustration that he’s expected to work in black tie.

Besides over-using oil control blotting sheets and matifier primers, Gómez says he also carries four or five little fans wherever he goes.

However, the hair situation becomes even more challenging when clients desire what Gómez calls a “loose, natural style.” He styled Poppy Delevingne’s hair for a look intended to be “super cool and effortless” at Venice, but while he says it looked great at the hotel, “within 30 minutes, she appeared disheveled.”

Gómez shares that he handled the makeup for an unnamed — and extremely prominent — actress and producer for Venice’s glamorous amFar gala. He observed that her hairstylist had incorporated “a significant amount of product” for what was supposed to be a classic, sleek, and glamorous ponytail.

“And the smooth ponytail transformed into a completely rock-and-roll ponytail by the time she walked the red carpet,” he notes. “It’s disheartening because it seemed like she made a statement to appear rock-and-roll, even though it wasn’t her intention at all!”

But not all stars are equal in the heat department.

Nicholas Hoult was somehow captured looking relatively refreshed for “The Order” photocall while wearing a Bottega Veneta Wales wool jacket. The fashion label subsequently assured Variety that the garment was composed of wool and cotton, thereby “making it significantly lighter and more breathable.” During the “The Brutalist” world premiere, despite commencing during the hottest time of day at 3pm (and in a screening room that one audience member described as “one of the hottest” due to a crowd surge upon entry), writer/director Brady Corbet remarkably appeared completely at ease in a full tuxedo with a bow tie.

But it was Angelina Jolie who truly raised eyebrows (most likely slightly damp), arriving for the premiere of “Maria” adorned in a faux fur stole and appearing completely unfazed by the oppressive heat. She embodied the epitome of a Hollywood icon (and perhaps someone on the path to an Oscar nomination if the award watchers are correct). Jolie then spent time on the red carpet cheerfully engaging in interviews and posing for photographs with fans.

But how was this even possible? Did she have a miniature battery-operated air conditioning unit discreetly sewn inside the fur?

“If anyone has an answer about the fur, please let me know,” a publicist remarked.

If a similar intense heatwave strikes next year, the Venice Film Festival could face a serious challenge in attracting top Hollywood names, as alternative festivals like Telluride and Toronto offer more comfortable, cooler environments.

As an insider reveals to Variety , there have been proposals suggesting that “Venice should shift to October.”