Festival organizers at Cannes Lions confirm plans for a physical event in June 2022, marking a return to real-life gatherings after virtual events due to the pandemic.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Returns to In-Person Format in 2022
After two years of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is set to return to a real-life, in-person format in 2022. The festival, which celebrates creativity and innovation in advertising, marketing, media, and technology sectors, will take place in France from June 20-24, 2022.
The 2021 awards were held as part of a hybrid model, with both virtual and in-person elements, as the festival continued to adapt to the ongoing pandemic. However, the 2021 awards were the only awards held during the last two years, with the 2020 edition being held entirely online.
The virtual editions of the festival aimed to replicate the physical event’s key features, such as access to inspirational talks, educational sessions, and engagement with industry leaders, but through digital platforms. The festival focused on how AI changes creative processes, encouraging creatives to leverage technology rather than resist it, fostering more experimental and boundary-pushing work in a rapidly evolving landscape.
The event is owned by Ascential, and the 2022 edition of the festival will be a hybrid model, with both virtual and in-person elements and activations. While specific details about the 2022 festival are not yet available, it is expected to build on the success of the past two virtual editions and the return to in-person events.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has maintained its global reach, connecting tens of thousands of professionals worldwide despite the lack of physical congregation in the past two years. As the festival returns to France in 2022, it is poised to bring together the global creative community once again to celebrate, learn, and inspire.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity continued to embrace innovation, Fostering sessions and talks on how AI impacts creative processes online. However, the return to a hybrid format in 2022 brings a risk of unpredictability, but also an exciting entertainment opportunity for attendees, as they gather in France to celebrate the world of advertising, marketing, media, and technology.
