Cannes Lions 2026 opened on Monday, June 22, with the global advertising, marketing, media, technology and entertainment industries returning to the French Riviera for the 73rd edition of the International Festival of Creativity.
The five-day festival, running from June 22 to 26, began with strong activity across the Palais des Festivals and the Croisette as delegates, brand leaders, agency executives, creators and technology companies gathered for a week of awards, conversations and networking.
The opening day set the tone for what is expected to be one of the most closely watched editions of the festival in recent years. Artificial intelligence, creator-led marketing, brand effectiveness, entertainment, sports, commerce media and the changing role of the CMO are among the dominant themes shaping conversations across Cannes.
One of the biggest moments of the morning came with AB InBev opening the main festival programme at the Lumière Theatre. The global brewer has been named Cannes Lions 2026 Creative Marketer of the Year, becoming the first company to receive the honour three times. The session focused on how AB InBev has placed creativity at the centre of its growth model and used it as a long-term business advantage, rather than only a communications tool.
The opening day also brought attention to the role of creative leadership in shaping the industry. Susan Credle, former Chair and Global Chief Creative Officer at FCB, took the stage for the Lion of St Mark seminar. The honour recognises her contribution to advertising over more than four decades, including her work on enduring brand platforms and campaigns across agencies such as BBDO, Leo Burnett and FCB.
Entertainment also had a major presence on Day One. Apple’s Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services and Health, was recognised as Cannes Lions’ 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year. In a fireside conversation with film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the discussion focused on Apple’s growing role in entertainment, storytelling and culture through Apple TV, Apple Music and its wider services ecosystem.
This year’s festival also marks an important shift in the awards structure. Cannes Lions has introduced the Creative Brand Lion, a new award that looks beyond individual campaigns and recognises how brands build the systems, cultures and capabilities needed to deliver sustained creative and business impact. Ten pieces of work have been shortlisted for the inaugural Creative Brand Lions.
AI is another major thread running through the first day. For 2026, Cannes Lions has introduced an AI Craft subcategory across several awards, including Design, Digital Craft, Film Craft, Industry Craft and Creative Data. The move reflects the industry’s attempt to distinguish between routine use of AI tools and work where human creativity and artificial intelligence combine to create something that would not have been possible through earlier methods.
The Creative Data Lion has also been redefined this year, with Cannes Lions placing stronger emphasis on work where data is central to the creative idea itself, rather than simply used as a supporting input. The awards have also expanded retail media recognition and introduced stronger integrity measures, including additional declarations of factual accuracy and AI-supported verification of entries.
Creators are also more visible than ever at Cannes Lions 2026. The festival has launched LIONS Creators in partnership with Adobe, giving creators a dedicated space at Palais Beach with a stage, content studio, editing suite, meeting areas and networking formats. The move reflects the growing role of creators in brand strategy, content production and commerce.
Across the Croisette, several brand activations are also using the first day to signal where the industry is headed. Adobe has built a major presence across Cannes, including at Le Majestic, LIONS Creators Beach, Sport Beach and outside the Palais, with experiences centred on creativity, marketing and AI. Yahoo is also using Cannes to showcase Yahoo Scout through a purple submarine-themed activation, while Sport Beach continues to position sports as a key area of marketing investment.
The first day will also see the opening awards ceremony, where the first Lion winners of 2026 are scheduled to be announced. Monday’s awards show covers Pharma Lions, Health & Wellness Lions, Print & Publishing Lions, Outdoor Lions, Audio & Radio Lions, Creative B2B Lions, Creative Brand Lions and select special awards.
For India, the festival opens with attention on the country’s shortlist performance. Indian agencies have already secured shortlists across categories including Health & Wellness, Audio & Radio, Print & Publishing, Creative Brand, Pharma, Film Craft, Design, Direct and Media. These shortlists will be closely watched as the first winners begin to be announced through the week.
Overall, Day One of Cannes Lions 2026 shows a festival that is no longer only about celebrating the best creative work. It is also a global forum for the future of marketing. The conversations beginning in Cannes this year are centred on how brands grow, how AI changes creative production, how creators are reshaping influence, and how marketing leaders prove the business impact of creativity.