Cannes Lions 2025 to kick off with diversity, bold brand plays & trophy-worthy creativity

Cannes Lions 2025 is all set to roar to life on June 16 along the sparkling shores of the French Riviera, bringing with it a tidal wave of change, creativity, and celebration. From Disney’s immersive chrome-studded takeover at the Hôtel Martinez to the buzzing, star-filled Influential Beach, the festival builds toward its grand Titanium Lions finale on 20 June. This year’s edition is marked by a firm commitment to inclusivity, new award categories, and boundary-pushing brand activations, all setting the stage for what promises to be a landmark year for the creative industries.

Doubling down on its promise of equity, Cannes Lions has expanded its ERA (Equity, Representation & Accessibility) Pass initiative, offering €2 million worth of free passes to underrepresented talent from the Global South, spanning 28 countries including India. The festival continues to nurture emerging voices through initiatives like See It Be It (for women and non-binary creatives), the Young Lions Pass, and the LIONS Academies. This year, the Glass: The Lion for Change has been reimagined to embrace intersectional inclusion, broadening its focus from gender to also spotlight race, disability, and sexuality. The Social & Creator Lions see fresh categories added, while the LIONS Creators learning stream returns for its second consecutive year.

Among the most anticipated moments at Cannes Lions 2025 is the official workshop, “The DEI Challenge: Put your ideas to the test,” hosted by Publicitarias, a leading organization advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in Ibero-American advertising. The session will provide a safe space for collective learning, exploring bias and inclusive design with real-world tools. Led by Melanie Tobal (founder and president of Publicitarias), alongside Emilia Åström, GiGi Gutiérrez, and Ale Haro, the session underlines how creative excellence and social impact can go hand in hand. Publicitarias has also been selected by the ERA Programme to bring a 13-member delegation of women leaders and volunteers from across Latin America, amplifying the region’s voice in shaping the future of the industry.

On the awards front, the festival has received 26,900 entries this year, reflecting strong global participation. The Design Lions saw a 17% rise in submissions following category updates that spotlight design’s strategic and behavioural impact. Creative B2B entries rose 13%, Entertainment Lions for Sport saw a 15% boost, and the Strategy Track, spanning Creative Strategy and Effectiveness, grew by 10% for the fifth straight year. Glass: The Lion for Change, celebrating its 10th year, saw a staggering 53% spike in entries. Independent agencies continued to gain ground, with entries up 18%, while Social & Creator Lions saw 18% of submissions come from new sub-categories focused on creator-led content. Submissions from LATAM grew 16% year on year. Initial shortlists for the Glass, Titanium, and Innovation Lions are already out, with the rest to be revealed between 14-18 June.

One of the most defining shifts at Cannes this year is the rise of retail media and commerce-led creativity. Reflecting this, new subcategories in the Media Lions and Creative Commerce Lions are celebrating work that ties creative excellence to retail and performance marketing. With global retail media spend topping $169 billion and growing at over 15% annually, the creative conversation is evolving, from storytelling alone to storytelling that sells. Cannes 2025 is asking a vital question: Can creativity scale while still delivering ROI?

The festival’s brand activations are bolder than ever. Disney has transformed the Hôtel Martinez into a showcase of storytelling and spectacle, complete with a chrome Mickey sculpture and an exclusive “Beach Soirée.” Its three-day speaker series will feature big names like Dana Walden, Sterling K. Brown, and ESPN’s Rosalyn Durant, who will spotlight the intersection of data, innovation, and women’s sports. Canva is also making waves with its largest activation yet, taking over La Plage du Martinez with branded ice pops, creative sessions, and custom tote-making workshops that highlight its enterprise evolution.