Cannes Lions reveals 2026 programme
Oprah Winfrey, Stella McCartney, Patagonia and Google DeepMind on the line-up
Cannes Lions has announced its 2026 programme, with Oprah Winfrey set to receive the Cannes LionHeart Award.
The Festival, which runs across five days in June, will bring together a global mix of creative leaders, cultural figures, technologists, brand builders and changemakers.
Winfrey will be honoured as the 2026 Cannes LionHeart, one of the Festival’s highest honours, recognising individuals who have used their platform to drive meaningful and lasting positive change.
She will appear on the Lumière Theatre stage at 10am on Tuesday 23 June, before receiving the award at the Cannes Lions Awards Show later that evening.
A media leader, producer, philanthropist, actress and author, Winfrey has spent decades shaping global culture, from redefining daytime television with The Oprah Winfrey Show to creating platforms that amplify underrepresented voices.
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.”
This year’s programme spans six main content streams, including the new Cannes Lions Deconstructed stream, alongside dedicated programmes for sport, creators and B2B marketing.
The line-up includes Stella McCartney, Patagonia, Google DeepMind, Meta, P&G, eBay, Sephora, Mastercard, LinkedIn, ServiceNow, Adobe and others.
Natasha Woodwal, Director of Content at LIONS, said the 2026 programme has been designed to reflect “how our industry really works today,” with more debates, roundtables, workshops and networking formats.
She added: “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.”
The Insights & Trends stream, co-curated with Contagious, will explore the cultural and strategic shifts reshaping the industry. Patagonia’s Alex Weller will examine the tension between values and scale, while eBay CEO Jamie Iannone and Stella McCartney will discuss how circular commerce is changing creative industries.
Innovation Unwrapped will focus on technology and transformation, with sessions including Aude Gandon of The Estée Lauder Companies and Nicola Mendelsohn of Meta on using AI to understand why some ideas endure. Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind will also join a fireside chat on the future of creativity.
The Creativity Toolbox stream will look at the tools and processes behind world-class creative work. Sessions include a hands-on workshop from NOSSA™’s Victor Britto challenging traditional brainstorming, and a live Campaign debate asking whether creative taste can ever be objective. Marc Pritchard of P&G will also explore the changing role of creativity in brand building in an AI-driven world.
Talent & Culture will examine creative leadership, talent and organisational culture, with speakers including Takeshi Sano from dentsu, Quiet Storm’s Trevor Robinson, Adams Fan of F5 Shanghai and Joana Mendes from Jungle Kid.
Co-curated with WARC, Creative Impact will focus on effectiveness and measurable business impact. Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp will present five fundamental marketing truths, while CMOs from brands including Sephora US and Mastercard will discuss how creativity drives growth.
The new Cannes Lions Deconstructed stream will include a live Festival wrap-up on Friday 26 June, offering early analysis of the biggest trends, talking points, jury room themes and winning work from across the week.
Beyond the main streams, Cannes Lions will also run dedicated programmes across sport, creator marketing and B2B.
The inaugural LIONS Sport programme, in partnership with SPORT BEACH, will look at the growth of the sports marketing ecosystem, including a session from Tennis Australia on how the Australian Open is using entertainment and culture to reach younger audiences.
LIONS Creators, in partnership with Adobe, returns for its third year, with speakers including Mel Robbins, Dhar Mann, Shopify’s Jessica Williams and Gap’s Fabiola Tores exploring how creators build movements and billion-view content ecosystems.
LIONS B2B, in partnership with LinkedIn, will explore the changing role of creativity in business marketing, with LinkedIn CMO Jessica Jensen and ServiceNow CMO Colin Fleming among the speakers.
In short: big names, big themes, and a programme clearly designed to show how far Cannes Lions now stretches beyond advertising alone.
