AI is rewriting the rules of creativity. Five days on the Croisette will tell us who’s adapting — and who’s already obsolete.
What Is Cannes Lions?
Founded in 1954, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the advertising and marketing world’s defining annual gathering. Held at the Palais des Festivals, it brings together thousands of brand leaders, agency heads, creators, and technologists from across the globe. This year, France takes the spotlight as Creative Country of the Year — a first — with French pass-holders invited to bring a first-time attendee for free.
Five days. 500+ speakers. 150+ hours of programming. One question: what is creativity worth now?
What to Expect in 2026
Three forces are shaping this edition: generative AI, the maturation of the creator economy, and the relentless pressure to prove that bold creativity drives measurable business growth. None of these are new — but in 2026, the stakes feel different.
AI. Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024), Fidji Simo and Denise Dresser (both OpenAI) take the main stages. The festival won’t pretend the conversation is still theoretical.
The creator economy. LIONS Creators, now in its third year with Adobe, has a dedicated beach space complete with a content studio and editing suite. Mel Robbins — whose podcast hit #1 on Apple in 2025 — headlines. Steven Bartlett and Adobe’s David Wadhwani discuss building brands with AI.
Sport. LIONS Sport is the major new addition: a two-day programme dedicated to sports marketing, sponsorship, and activation. New territory for the festival, and overdue.
Brand vs. growth. Marc Pritchard (P&G), Stella McCartney, Jamie Iannone (eBay), and Alex Weller (Patagonia) debate the oldest tension in the room. AB InBev opens the festival Monday as Creative Marketer of the Year. A new award, the Creative Brand Lion, rewards organisations that link long-term creative ambition to measurable results.
The Sessions Worth Clearing Your Schedule For
| Day | Session | Speaker(s) | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 22 | AB InBev: Creative Marketer of the Year | Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO | Lumière |
| Mon 22 | Entertainment Person of the Year | Eddy Cue (Apple) & Jerry Bruckheimer | Lumière |
| Mon 22 | From Creator to CEO | Steven Bartlett & David Wadhwani (Adobe) | Creators Stage |
| Tue 23 | LionHeart Seminar | Oprah Winfrey | Lumière |
| Tue 23 | Robots Don’t Build Brands | Marc Pritchard, P&G | Lumière |
| Tue 23 | How Stories Travel Through Culture | Malcolm Gladwell & Questlove | Rotonde |
| Wed 24 | The Future of Creativity | Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind | Lumière |
| Thu 25 | Stop Working in Advertising | Sir John Hegarty, BBH | Debussy |
| Thu 25 | Creativity Must Fight Back | Fernando Machado | Rotonde |
| Fri 26 | Future Gazers: Next 18 Months | Ned McNeilage, Paul Dolan, Felicia Okoye Otolorin | Rotonde |
The Names You’ll Be Hearing All Week
On technology: Hassabis, Simo, Dresser, Mosseri (Instagram/Meta). On culture: Oprah, Gladwell, Questlove, Hegarty. On brand leadership: Pritchard, McCartney, Eddy Cue, Fernando Machado.
Beyond the Palais
The Croisette functions as a second festival. Adobe, Amazon, Spotify, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Microsoft all hold off-site activations. The Female Quotient runs its FQ Beach throughout the week.
Cannes Lions 2026 arrives at a moment when the industry can no longer defer the hard questions. The Palais will be full of confident answers. Whether any of them hold up — that’s what the week is for.
Full programme and passes: www.canneslions.com