Full Schedule of Events

8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
Chez Nous Open House: Morning coffee and informal meetings before Festival programming begins.
Location: Chez Nous by VML – Beryte, 24 Rue Pasteur, 06400 Cannes, France
 

10:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M
The Cannes LionHeart Seminar | Oprah Winfrey

Global media leader, producer, philanthropist, actress, and author Oprah Winfrey takes the stage ahead of receiving the 2026 Cannes LionHeart Award. One of the Festival’s highest honors, the LionHeart Award recognizes individuals who have used their platform to drive meaningful and lasting positive change.
Speaker: Oprah Winfrey
Location: Lumière Theatre, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400

10:00 A.M. - 10:25 A.M.
Fireside Chat: Pizza Hut

Melissa Abola Friebe, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut, joins Brand Innovators programming for a conversation exploring modern marketing leadership, customer relevance, and how brands continue to build loyalty and growth in a rapidly evolving consumer landscape.  
Speaker: Melissa Abola Friebe (Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut)  
Location: Brand Innovators Beach Stage, Vega La Plage, Cannes, France

10:15 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. 
Build Your Own Agent: Designing, Verifying and Deploying Agents Across WPP and Microsoft 

A hands-on workshop jointly hosted by WPP and Microsoft at Cannes Lions 2026. As we enter the "agentic web" era, the strategic question for brands is no longer whether to build AI agents, but how. In this interactive session, senior client teams move beyond the chatbot hype. Working in small groups with WPP and Microsoft experts, you get hands-on experience adapting a real AI agent to solve your specific business challenges using a shared design canvas and verification checklist.
Speakers: Elav Horwitz (Chief Innovation Officer, WPP); Amelia Gandar (Global Head of Agentic Strategy & Design, WPP); Brian Yamada (Chief Innovation Officer, VML); and Microsoft experts.
Location: WPP Rooftop Hotel Martinez – Room 717
 

10:30 A.M. - 11:15 A.M.
CMOs in the Spotlight: Grupo Boticário, Kraft Heinz

Join leading marketing executives for a conversation exploring the changing role of the CMO and how brands are navigating evolving consumer expectations, business priorities, and creative transformation.
Speakers: Todd Kaplan (Kraft Heinz), Renata Gomide (Grupo Boticário)
Location: Rotonde Stage, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400

1:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.
Marketing at the Speed of Culture

As culture moves faster than ever, brands are being challenged to evolve in real time and create meaningful connections in increasingly dynamic environments. This conversation explores how marketers can respond with agility, relevance, and creativity while staying true to their brand identity and building long-term engagement.  
Speakers: Billy Bohan Chinique (Vice President, Marketing & Digital Innovation, Virgin Voyages), Dr. Anthony Anderson, Angie Smith, Kameryn Stanhouse  
Location: Brand Innovators Beach Stage, Vega La Plage, Cannes, France

2:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
Bronze and Silver Winners Announcement

Celebrate the 2026 Bronze and Silver winners in the Industry Craft Lions, Digital Craft Lions, Film Craft Lions, Design Lions, Entertainment Lions, Entertainment Lions for Gaming, Entertainment Lions for Music, and Entertainment Lions for Sport.
Location: Lumière Theatre, The Palais  

3:30 P.M. - 4:15 P.M.
A Debate: What in the World Is Happening? Should Brands Get Involved or Stay Schtum?

The world feels increasingly difficult to navigate, and for brands, culture has become both an opportunity and a challenge. As marketers continue seeking relevance through social and cultural conversations, are brands genuinely contributing to communities or simply inserting themselves into moments that were never theirs to own? Join this candid debate exploring whether brands are moving culture forward, hijacking it, or trying to balance somewhere in between.
Speakers: Burçak Simsek (Global Lead Reproductive Health, Women’s Healthcare, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer), Joel Marlinarson (Founder, Creator & Social Strategist, Coldest Creative)
Moderator: Thomas Bunn (Global Chief Client Impact Officer, Zeno Group)
Location: Brands & Culture Villa, 13 Avenue du Bénéfiat, 06400 Cannes, France (16-minute walk from Palais)
 

4:45 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.
Discovery vs Belief: Where Does Brand Power Really Sit Today?

Industry leaders debate whether discovery or belief now holds greater influence in building modern brands and creating long-term consumer trust.
Speakers: Richard Edelman (Edelman), Dan Roth (LinkedIn), Jim Squires (Reddit), Tati Lindenberg (Unilever)
Location: Rotonde Stage, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400

7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Cannes Lions Awards Show

Day two wraps with a creative tour de force, announcing the winners across:

• Industry Craft Lions
• Digital Craft Lions
• Film Craft Lions
• Design Lions
• Entertainment Lions
• Entertainment Lions for Gaming
• Entertainment Lions for Music
• Entertainment Lions for Sport
• Cannes LionHeart Award Presentation (Oprah Winfrey)
• Celebrating category winners and Grand Prix announcements

Location: Lumière Theatre, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400 

9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
Igniting Iconic Growth: Superfans, Culture & the New Brand Partnerships

In a world where attention is fleeting, the most successful brands are those that spark emotion and build communities. This session brings together experience marketing leaders who are leading the industry in turning audiences into superfans through bold storytelling, cultural fluency, and authentic engagement. The audience will learn how fan-driven brands are redefining the marketing playbook for growth.
Speakers: Ben Geheb, Chief Experience Officer, WPP Enterprise Solutions, Claudia Navarro, The Coca- Cola Company
Moderator: Angela Ahrendts, WPP Board  
Location: WPP Rooftop, Hôtel Martinez, 73 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
 

11:30 A.M. - 12:15 P.M.
Inside the Jury Room: Creative Brand Lions

Go behind the scenes with Cannes Lions Jury leadership for an inside look at how the world’s most celebrated creative work is evaluated. Hear firsthand perspectives on the work that sparked debate, what stood out, and the themes shaping this year’s Creative Brand Lions decisions.
Speakers: Rafael Pitanguy (Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML), Cannes Lions Jury Members
Location: Debussy Theatre, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400


12:00 P.M. - 12:45 PM 
Learn From an Effie Winner: Secrets of Effectiveness in Pillars 1 & 2

Talk through a case where the challenge was great (went beyond the obvious), the objectives were clear, the insight and idea were great, and it got good results. What made Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 so strong? Your tips for Pillar 1 and 2 excellence. Ask Me Anything Q&A. If you don’t have a case in mind, we can explore an Effie Winner.

Speaker: Ellie Bamford (Chief Strategy Officer North America, VML)
Location: Salle de Presse, Level 3 of the Palais
 

12:00 P.M. - 12:45 P.M.
The New Influence Equation: Balancing Human Trust & Algorithmic Reach

Customer journeys increasingly begin in social feeds, creator communities, and AI-powered answer engines, where both human and algorithmic influence shape decision-making. Health offers a powerful lens into this shift, where trust and credibility can directly impact outcomes. As people turn to digital sources earlier and more often, brands across every category face a new challenge: influencing both human narratives and the algorithms driving discovery. This conversation brings together leaders across healthcare, technology, social platforms, and communications to explore what brands need to do differently to earn influence and become trusted sources in an AI-amplified world.
Speakers: Neil Lindsay (Amazon Health), Lina Polimeni (Eli Lilly), Michelle Rodemers (Reddit), Joe Malunda (US Digital Lead, GCI Health)
Moderator: Jason Xenopoulos (CEO, VML New York and Chief Creative Officer, Global Accounts, VML)
Location: WPP Rooftop, Hôtel Martinez, 73 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
 

12:30 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.
LBB Presents: A World of Weird: Why We Can’t Get Enough of Absurdist Humour

Cuts, cost-of-living pressures, political uncertainty, and constant predictions about the future can make the world feel a little heavy. Yet across advertising, one trend continues gaining momentum: absurdist humor. From this year’s Immortal Awards to The Monthly Cut, audiences and judges alike have embraced work that leans into the strange, unexpected, and wonderfully weird. Join the creatives behind some of the year’s funniest campaigns for a conversation exploring why absurdity is resonating globally and what it reveals about creativity today.
Moderator: Laura Swinton Gupta (Editor in Chief, Little Black Book)
Speakers: Taylor Erin (Executive Creative Director, Instacart), Luis Madruga Enriquez (Chief Creative Officer, VML Mexico), Manuel Borde (Chief Creative Officer, VML Commerce), Pete Khoury (Chief Creative Officer, Omnicom Advertising Asia)
Location: LBB Beach, Cannes, France
 

12:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.
From AI Resistance to Results: Driving Creative Transformation

Join us for a candid conversation among the leaders navigating that question in real time-from generative content creation and first-party data strategies to responsible AI governance and the reinvention of agency-brand partnerships.  
Speakers: Cindy Rose, CEO, WPP, Julia White, CMO, AWS, and Dr. Ruba Borno, VP, Global Specialists & Partners, AWS
Location: Le Jardin at Amazon Port, Port Pierre Canto, Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France

2:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. 
Bronze and Silver Winners Announcement

This session recognizes the Bronze and Silver winners in the Creative Data Lions, Social & Creator Lions, Direct Lions, Media Lions and PR Lions. 
Location: Lumière Theatre, The Palais

2:30 P.M. - 3:15 P.M.
Insights to Impact Throwdown

A fast-paced conversation exploring how brands can turn cultural insight and consumer understanding into meaningful business impact.
Speakers: Valerie Beaulieu-James, Jon Evans
Location: Rotonde Stage, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400
 
4:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Cruise Experience on the Riviera  

Join WPP Enterprise Solutions and Adobe for a cruise along the stunning Mediterranean coastline during Cannes Lions 2026.
Location: Port Canto, Bd de la Croisette, Cannes, 06400, France
Link: https://www.addevent.com/event/hvdq8lng46xx 
 
7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M
Cannes Lions Awards Show

Celebrate another night of creativity in action and see who takes home Lions in:

• Creative Data Lions
• Social & Creator Lions
• Direct Lions
• Media Lions
• PR Lions
• Select Special Awards
• Recognition of category winners and nightly Grand Prix announcements

Location: Lumière Theatre, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400 

10:30 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Leading Through the Shift: Women & Allies in the Age of AI

Join WPP Enterprise Solutions for a brunch panel with women and allies leading through one of the most consequential shifts in enterprise technology.
Location: Chez Nous by VML – Beryte, 24 Rue Pasteur, 06400 Cannes, France
 

11:30 A.M. - 12:15 P.M.
Inside the Jury Room: Brand Experience & Activation Lions

Step inside the judging room for a behind-the-scenes look at how this year’s most immersive and impactful work was evaluated. Jury leaders discuss the campaigns, cultural themes, and experiences that shaped decision-making, offering firsthand perspectives on the work that stood out and the conversations shaping the future of brand experiences.
Speakers: Rafael Pitanguy (Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML), Cannes Lions Jury Members
Location: Debussy Theatre, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400

1:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Growth Systems: Building The Agentic Enterprise

Take a break from the Croisette and join the WPP Enterprise Solutions team on the Martinez Rooftop Terrace. Grab a drink, enjoy the view, and connect with fellow leaders for great conversation about AI, growth, and what's next for business.
Location: WPP Rooftop Terrace, Hôtel Martinez, 73 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France

2:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. 
Bronze and Silver Winners Announcement

Join this celebration of the 2026 Bronze and Silver winners of the Brand Experience & Activation Lions, Creative Business Transformation Lions, Creative Commerce Lions, Creative Effectiveness Lions, Creative Strategy Lions, Innovation Lions and Luxury Lions, as well as select Special Awards.
Location: Debussy Theatre, The Palais

7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M
Cannes Lions Awards Show

See the winners in:

• Brand Experience & Activation Lions
• Creative Business Transformation Lions
• Creative Commerce Lions
• Creative Effectiveness Lions
• Creative Strategy Lions
• Innovation Lions
• Luxury Lions
• Celebrating standout work and category winners from across the festival.

Location: Lumière Theatre, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes 06400

8:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M.
Beyond the Palais: An Exclusive VML Health Celebration

VML Health, in partnership with Cannes Young Lions, hosts an evening designed for connection, conversation, and celebration.
Location: Chez Nous by VML – Beryte, 24 Rue Pasteur, 06400 Cannes, France