The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a global event for professionals in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is regarded as the largest gathering in the advertising and creative communications industry. This year, the event was held from Tuesday 18 June until Friday 21 June.

For many of the over 15,000 international attendees, the festival’s branded beaches, yachts, cabanas, and parties are equally compelling attractions at the event. Brands have the ability to creatively showcase their latest campaigns and innovations in this exclusive and vibrant setting, offering unique experiences that enhance their visibility and engagement with a diverse and influential audience.

Let’s take a look at some of the standouts from this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

TikTok Garden

TikTok presented an activation in the gardens of the Carlton Cannes. The area featured several creatively named touchpoints such as the Fit Check Foyer, the Creator Station, and the Trend Trolley. Each zone aimed to illustrate how TikTok nurtures creativity and inspires ideas that drive brand expansion.

Pinterest Manifestival

Pinterest hosted its creative Pinterest Manifestival space at the Carlton Beach Club, the waterfront venue in front of the Carlton Cannes. The immersive space invited attendees to experience a real-life version of Pinterest, demonstrating their capability to transform inspiration into action. Activities included a charm bar, where visitors could create accessories and jewellery from an assortment of new and thrifted materials, beads, charms, and chains with BONBONWHIMS.

Spotify Beach

Spotify Beach ran all day, everyday, featuring daytime sessions with EGOT winner John Legend, 10-time Grammy-nominated singer Janelle Monáe, singer-songwriters Tyla and Shaboozey, and executives from major brands like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Adobe. A spotify- themed games show also ran at this waterfront location. The brand also hosted two evenings of concerts featuring Benson Boone, Tyla, Shaboozey, and Arcade Fire, plus a DJ set from Justice.

Netflix’s Rooftop Activation

Netflix hosted a lively rooftop event at JW Marriott Cannes. The brand’s logo looked over the Croisette, complemented by an LED screen displaying engaging messages throughout the week. Throughout the area, guests explored designs inspired by some of Netflix’s biggest titles, along with various meeting spots and food and beverage stations.

Meta Beach

Meta Beach focused on connections, demonstrating the power and potential of the brand’s technology to create new growth opportunities. The standout feature was Devlin’s Reels Cinema, a mini-theater directly on the sand. Inside, a short 9:16 vertical film titled “There Is No Other” was screened, emphasising the importance of bridging the perceived divides between people and reminding viewers of the transformative power of human connections.

Stagwell Sport Beach

Stagwellʼs Sport Beach brought together top athletes, such as Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce, with the festival’s audience of brands, marketers, and creatives. Plugged as a “sports stadium on the beach,” this dynamic and attention-grabbing area included two podcast studios flanking the stage, with over 170 speakers. Attractions featured run clubs, fitness classes, live music, a wine and spirits festival, open-play basketball, private pickleball tournaments, flag football matches, and numerous other activities.

‘The Wall Street Journal’ Journal House

The Wall Street Journal’s Journal House relocated to a new spot this year, occupying a prominent position along the Croisette. Journal House was a multi-level hub for live journalism. It featured speakers such as will.i.am, e.l.f. Beauty CMO Kory Marchisotto, Grammy Award winner Diplo, and actor-producer Yara Shahidi.

The Wall Street Journal also launched the inaugural digital twin of Journal House in the metaverse, accessible from June 17-20 at journalhousecannesvirtual.dowjones.com. Attendees, whether in-person or remote via any web-connected device, could engage in an interactive virtual environment replicating the tactile experience of being physically present at the venue.

Yahoo Beach

Yahoo Beach presented a contemporary and innovative atmosphere that honoured the brand’s legacy while welcoming guests into the future. The venue included a backdrop of CD walls, iridescent graphics, a 10-foot-tall infinity mirror, and a stage backdrop designed in an arch shape.

Adweek House

Adweek chose an inviting cabana-style venue near the Croisette, offering rooftop views of the Mediterranean and the Carlton Cannes. Paris Hilton headlined the speaking panel titled “The Creator Economy,” joined by renowned media and marketing experts like Scott Galloway, Kara Swisher, Deepak Chopra, and others.

LinkedIn: The Place to B2B

LinkedIn’s activation spanned three floors of the Carlton Hotel, featuring panel discussions, a live studio, and various meeting spaces designed to encourage connection and creativity with like minded attendees.