Yes You Cannes Why Going To The Lions Is Right For You

Creative Boom: Insight Creative Industry Yes, you Cannes: Why going to the Lions is right for you From first-timers to founders, Cannes Lions is no longer just for adland insiders. It's become a global gathering for creatives, creators and curious minds looking to learn, connect and open new doors. If you've ever wondered whether there's a place for you on the Croisette, the answer is probably yes. Written By: Lucy Werner 27 May 2026 Bonnie Wan at Cannes Lions.

Images courtesy of Cannes My first dalliance with Cannes Lions was in 2001, as a 21-year-old team assistant at a global ad agency, where I glamourously got to book flights, send out party invitations by post, and watch my entire department have a great time whilst I manned the phones in the office. Fast forward to 2011, I'd worked my way up the career ladder and received my first invitation to attend as a senior account executive for Persuasion Communications, famous as a PR stalwart at the festival, repping big ad, design, and creative agencies. I never pictured, at that time, that there might be a place for me there in my own right.

But both my career and the Lions have changed significantly in the last fifteen years, and it's never felt like a more relevant time to go for anyone interested in accelerating their creative career. While collecting my press pass to write for Creative Boom last year, the first person I met in the queue was a 21-year-old university student seeking to enhance his own career opportunities. He wasn't waiting for a team invite, and neither should you. A quick potted history Inspired by the film festival, a group of cinema-screening advertisers set up their own Independent Advertising Festival in 1954.

Today, the awards cover press and outdoor, media, design, PR, film, branded content, innovation, social and influencer. Pass holders get access to talks in the Palais, as well as sponsor beaches that take over the Croisette, sandwiched between luxury hotel chains (soon to be White Lotus-famous) and the twinkly blue sea of the Côte d'Azur. Whilst people might still associate it with advertising, many of the most popular beaches come from the wider world of technology and entertainment, from Spotify and Stagwell Sports Beach to this year's anticipated Female Quotient beach.

With no childcare on Wednesday due to no school in France, I'm eyeing up their Camps at Cannes Kids Club. Creators Rooftop at Cannes Lions In the last few years, passes have become more accessible for independents like us with the Creator (€1,245) and Start-Up (€1,345) passes. Given what some "experts" charge for a single-day workshop in London, this pricing isn't wild to me. As a passholder, you can use the official app to book sessions and meetings, and it helps you to connect with others in advance. There are also loads of unofficial events and spaces where niche talks and more intimate conversations can take place.

If costs are prohibitive, you don't need a pass to experience a lot of the fringe events and other spaces. But it is about connecting and finding out what's on and where. I don't know anyone else attending. Where do I even begin? First thing, I would do is type 'Cannes Lions' into the search bar on LinkedIn. That is going to pull up anyone in your network who has spoken about it and might give you some connections attending you didn't realise you had. Next, be bold: tell your universe, via your newsletter or socials, that you are planning to go and ask if anyone wants to meet up. The worst that can happen is you get zero responses.

Article truncated for readability. Read the full piece →

The article highlights the importance of attending Cannes Lions for brand professionals, which is significant for networking and learning, though the concept of industry festivals is not new.