What is Cannes Lions?
Cannes Lions, the world’s biggest festival of creativity, is basically the Super Bowl, Coachella, Glastonbury, the Grammys and the Oscars all rolled into one for the international creative marketing community. Media and entertainment companies, agencies and social media platforms all descend on the beautiful French Riviera evert year to talk shop with CMOs, attend events and plan what’s next for the industry.
When is Cannes Lions?
Cannes Lions takes place this year between June 16, 2025 and June 20, 2025. Attendees make an annual pilgrimage to the festival from all over the world. It’s the biggest festival of its kind on the planet.
Where is Cannes Lions?
Cannes Lions is held at the same location as the world famous Cannes Film Festival—a scenic former French fishing town that is now packed with luxury hotels and villas. Alongside the keynote talks and awards that make up the ticketed official Cannes Lions programming, companies take over many hotels, beaches and cafés that line the famous Croissett and host fringe festival parties, panel discussions and meet-ups. Some of the events are invitation only, but many are free to attend.
How can I check out what’s on in Cannes?
From rooftop breakfasts and beachside panels to morning jogs and late-night concerts, there is so much at Cannes Lions that it can feel a bit overwhelming. Thirteen years ago, I started creating a personal list of everything that was going on and it has since evolved into a free industry resource that thousands of people freely access each year. The Propeller Group Cannes Lions Fringe Events and Parties List details 1,100+ events taking place during the festival and you can freely access it.
Advice for first timers?
When you're planning a schedule at this busy festival, the FOMO is real. But as much as you wish you could be in more than one place at a time, the key to Cannes is to build time into your schedule for chance meetings and serendipitous conversations. The magic of Cannes Lions lies in the new connections, innovative ideas and friendships that are forged on the famous Cannes Croissette. It’s a festival that can inspire you and fire you up to be better at your job during the other 51 weeks of the year. In an industry that moves as fast as marketing, having your finger on the pulse of trends can make all the difference to your life, career and success in business.
Ben Titchmarsh is an associate director at London and New York PR and growth marketing agency Propeller. You can connect with him on LinkedIn if you’d like to learn more about Cannes Lions and he hopes to see you in Cannes for a coffee or glass of rosé. Bon voyage!