The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has unveiled its programme for this year, with six streams across insights, innovation, creativity and talent, and a live debate hosted by Campaign.
The Creativity Toolbox stream will include the debate on whether creative taste can be objective. It will feature Lynsey Atkin, founder and partner at Baby Teeth, Richard Brim, chief creative officer at Ace of Hearts, David Kolbusz, CCO at Orchard, and Chaka Sobhani, global CCO at TBWA\Worldwide.
The programme also includes a new Cannes Lions Deconstructed stream, which involves a live wrap-up of the festival, delivering a review of the biggest trends and talking points.
Along with Cannes Lions Deconstructed and The Creativity Toolbox, the other streams are Insights and Trends; Innovation Unwrapped; Talent and Culture and Creative Impact.
Insights and Trends will include Alex Walker, vice-president of creative at Patagonia, examining the tension between values and scale, while McCartney and eBay’s president and CEO Jamie Iannone will explore how circular commerce is reshaping creative industries.
Aude Gandon, global chief digital and marketing officer at The Estée Lauder Companies, and Nicola Mendelsohn, head of global business group at Meta, will look at using AI to decode enduring ideas under Innovation Unwrapped, while Demiss Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind will discuss the future of creativity.
The Talent and Culture stream will see Takeshi Sano, president and global CEO at Dentsu, reflecting on 125 years of innovation and impact, while Mark Ritson, founder of MiniMBA, will consider fundamental marketing truths under Creative Impact.
Natasha Woodwal, director of content at Lions, said: “The 2026 programme has been designed to reflect how our industry really works today. We’ve expanded the breadth of formats to encourage deeper participation, from debates and roundtables to interactive workshops and networking opportunities. With the launch of Lions Sport and the continued growth of Lions Creators, we’re creating space for new voices, new communities and new conversations that are shaping the future of creativity.”
Winfrey is being honoured as the 2026 Cannes LionHeart, which celebrates an individual who has used their platform to drive meaningful and lasting positive change.
Philip Thomas, chair of Lions, said: “Oprah Winfrey’s influence extends far beyond media. She has consistently used her platform to elevate others, challenge perspectives and inspire change. Her sustained commitment to using influence responsibly has helped create opportunities for others while broadening understanding on a global scale – embodying the true spirit of the LionHeart Award.”
Source: Campaign UK
