Cannes Lions—everything to know about the 2024 ad festival

C'est l'heure! The moment for advertisers, marketers and creatives to shine has come again as industry professionals from all over the world are set to flock to Cannes on the coast of the French Riviera. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity taking place June 17-21 can be a whirlwind of business, fun, celebrities and rosé. Next week, the European resort town lined by beaches will be buzzing with agency executives, marketers, influencers and others there to celebrate the Oscars of the advertising industry. Even for the veterans who have been to the Croisette before, the experience can be daunting. Luckily, Ad Age has the answers to all your most pressing questions about what to expect at Cannes. Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards Join us July 23 & 24 in Boston Learn more here How do you pronounce Cannes? The name of the festival is pronounced much like the name of a legendary dance, also of French origin, known as the cancan. If you’re unfamiliar with the “cancan” phenomenon of high kicks and flouncing frills, watch this performance from “Moulin Rouge” (1952). What is the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity? The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is the biggest and arguably most prestigious award event in advertising. It was established in 1954 under a different name, the International Advertising Film Festival, and was inspired by the Cannes Film Festival, which was established in 1946. The Cannes Lions originally took place in Venice, Italy, followed by a second year in Monte Carlo. It later moved to the French Riviera and would alternate between there and Venice until establishing Cannes as its permanent home in 1984. The awards and trophy were inspired by the lion adorning Venice’s Piazza San Marco. While the festival’s primary objective is to recognize and award the best work in creative advertising, it has since evolved to also become a networking event for marketers, agency executives, up-and-coming creatives and trade journalists. Attendees can expect panel discussions about trends, the state of the industry and more, as well as parties, dinners, soirées and lots of rosé. Also read: How one agency is bringing 95 staffers to Cannes Lions Who attends Cannes? Attendees at Cannes run the gamut from creatives at holding companies to small indie agencies, brands and clients from around the world, production companies, marketers and more. In recent years, the festival, which was founded to celebrate creativity, has evolved to also include media and ad tech professionals, creators, tech companies and celebrities or athletes with brand partnerships and NIL deals. See all of the 2023 Cannes Lions Grand Prix winners While companies including Netflix, Amazon and TikTok are expected to once again have a large presence this year, other takeovers will be done by creators, who flocked to the Croisette in record numbers last year. In April, Cannes announced a new “Lions Creators” program for this year’s festival, blending creator-centric presentations, panels and roundtables offering creators opportunities to mingle with CMOs and other C-suite executives. Unlike the past two years, Cannes doesn’t overlap with VidCon, likely attracting more influencers. In short, don’t be surprised if this year feels like a TikTok family reunion. Of course, trade journalists will also be onsite. Ad Age will be hosting a lawn party as well as a presentation of Ad Age’s Young Creatives. How much does it cost to attend Cannes? As with all things in this economy, prices have gone up. Whereas last year a pass to attend Cannes Lions started at just under 4,000 euros (or about $4,300), this year, a pass starts at 4,095 euros (or about $4,456) and ranges up to 10,495 euros ($11,422) for premium access. Discounts are available for groups, students and professionals under 30 working in the industry. However, these prices don’t include the cost of airfare or lodging in the area, which can run you thousands of dollars. Flights for June 15 to June 23 can range from a little over $1,000 for economy to up to $15,000 for first class, depending on where you’re flying from. Hotels, villas, Airbnbs and inns (if you can get a room this late) range from about $135 to over $1,700 a night. Despite the cost of attendance and setting up a branded presence at the festival, agencies say the ROI is worth it, as participation in the festival often creates a pipeline for new business, partnerships and, of course, new relationships. More: Inside Cannes Lions 2024 costs for brands and agencies What is the dress code at Cannes? Think breezy and airy—linens, resort wear and comfortable clothing for hot and humid temperatures. Officially, the festival lists the dress code as “business casual,” but it’s recommended to stay away from heavy fabrics and stuffy clothing. Dress up if you’d like, just keep in mind the setting. At the time of this writing, the weather at Cannes is expected to be in the high 70s or low 80s (Fahrenheit) and mostly sunny. In other words, exquisite weather for a rosé on the beach. How should I prepare before I go? First thing first: Look into whether you require a visa. In October 2023, the European Union (EU) passed new entry and exit rules that say if you're not a citizen of the EU or European Economic Area (EEA), you may require a visa. While the enforcement rollout has been delayed, check with the French Embassy for the latest information and look out for any updates before you travel. The best way to get to the Palais—where the work is on display—is by foot. Public street parking is limited near the Croisette. In addition, be sure to pack anything you might need for long days at panels, networking events and more, including portable chargers, business cards, a notebook and pen and a European power adapter. Download the festival app for a map of how to get around and a list of speakers and programs, and reach out to festival organizers in advance if you require accessibility accommodations. How many people will attend the Cannes Lions Festival this year? The festival estimates there will be approximately 12,000 attendees at Cannes this year, returning to pre-pandemic levels last seen in 2019. Last year saw several client first-timers attend as many CMOs urged their companies to make an appearance, even with a small group. I heard there have been changes to the award categories. What can I expect this year? There are 30 categories within nine tracks spanning classic, craft, engagement, entertainment, experience, health, strategy and more, in addition to the Titanium Lions, awarded to breakthrough innovation in advertising. This year, the festival launched a new category, the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, and eliminated the Mobile Lions category. The Luxury & Lifestyle Lions will recognize the “most impactful creative work, experiences and creative business solutions for the luxury and lifestyle sector,” according to the festival website, and was created due to the rapid evolution of the global luxury market. The Mobile Lions category, meanwhile, has closed since “mobile devices are embedded in work across every channel and discipline, and over the past number of years, mobile-led creativity has been expanding into almost every Lion,” said Marian Brannelly, global director of awards at Lions. Cannes has also renamed the Radio & Audio Lions as the Audio & Radio Lions. For the first time, Cannes is also requiring that entrants disclose whether they used AI in their entries—and if so, how. Each category will, as in years past, give out multiple awards, first honoring those on the shortlist then through bronze, silver and gold rankings. Among the gold winners, juries for each category will award Grand Prix trophies for the best overall piece, unless no work merits the prize, in which case they will abstain. A full list of entries will be published on The Work, the festival’s database of campaigns, on Saturday, June 15, and Sunday, June 16. Shortlists will be published for each category a few days before its winners’ ceremony. On the day of each category’s winners’ ceremony, bronze and silver winners will be posted to The Work at 2:30 p.m. local time. The rest of the winners will be announced at the award show in the Palais, and published to The Work afterward. (Click image enlarge) How are the Cannes Lions judged? Industry professionals invited to judge are divided into “shortlist jurors” and “awarding jurors” and are given categories to judge. Shortlist jurors do the first round of judging to develop a shortlist, followed by awarding jurors, who choose the winners from that shortlist. The shortlists are announced on lovethework.com and in the Lions Daily print publication, available at the festival. Three shortlists—Glass: The Lion for Change, Innovation and Titanium Lions—were announced before the start of the festival. What do the Cannes winners receive? Winners get a trophy shaped like a lion, as in the name. Each category differs slightly in its design, and the more an agency or brand collects, the more bragging rights. When and where do Cannes winners get their trophies? Each night, attendees gather at the festival’s main venue, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, where an award show is held honoring the winners of various categories. Each night will recognize a different set of categories, with the biggest winners announced at the end of the week on Friday. Those categories include Film and Titanium, as well as winners in the Sustainable Development Goals and Glass: The Lion For Change categories. The anticipation builds throughout the week, as these shortlists go out first. How do you enter to win at Cannes? It’s too late to enter anything this year, as applications closed April 11. But for next year, mark your calendars—applications typically open in January and require an entry fee. After about March, late fees apply for extended deadlines through April. Fees vary by category from 650 euros (about $708) to 2,225 euros or about $2,425 for Titanium Lions. What are some ways I can network with my industry peers? Are there opportunities for students or young professionals at Cannes Lions? Programming during the Cannes Lions Festival includes branded activations on the Palais, brunches and happy hours on the terrace, networking sessions on the Palais rooftop and a networking destination called The Hub. There, attendees can enjoy food and refreshments, sit in on chats with industry leaders and more. As for young professionals, the festival has programming celebrating upcoming creatives as well as competitions such as the Young Lions Competition and The Future Lions competition. Open to all creatives under the age of 31, the Young Lions opened before the festival and features categories in design, digital, film, marketing, media and PR in which participants were given a brief to execute. The Future Lions, created with agency AKQA, invites participants 18 to 25 years old or in a full-time educational program to fulfill similar requirements. Completed in teams, finalists have the chance to attend the festival in Cannes, where the winner will be crowned and can execute their idea in real life. What can I do outside of the Palais? Cannes is about networking and much of the experience of attending the festival involves mingling at parties. Agencies and brands often host dinners, yacht parties, beach sports and more during the week. This year, Stagwell is again expected to host its Sport Beach, renting out an even larger beach area that will include appearances from sports greats such as NFL brothers Travis and Jason Kelce. Whalar and Influential, meanwhile, are preparing to host intimate discussions between creators and executives at their respective villas away from the Croisette. Ad Age will be hosting discussions on a yacht with VaynerMedia. MediaLink’s beach will host athletes and marketers, including college basketball phenom JuJu Watkins and Justin Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs. Other agencies and brands will host dinner meetups, brunches and other events. For late-night schmoozing, the Carlton Terrace remains a key spot to see and be seen, while the Hotel Martinez has become a more popular after-hours destination in recent years. The old standby, 72 Croisette—aka the “Gutter Bar”—is also an option. I won’t have time to see everything at the Festival. How can I catch up on what I missed? Read Ad Age, of course. We will be on site, covering all the latest news coming out of Cannes through news stories, our live blog and our newsletter. Cannes Lions will also post all sessions and awards to watch on demand on its website until July 12. After July, it will release a Cannes 2024 Wrap Up report. Cannes Lions coverage See all of the Grand Prix winners here Top 5 Grand Prix campaigns

Cannes Lions—everything to know about the 2024 ad festival

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