By Cynthia Littleton, Todd Spangler
Getty Images The annual Cannes Lions festival of creativity opens this year with the sectors it covers in the throes of fundamental change — so it’s no surprise that the 2026 event is packed with signs of the future and sessions with leaders who represent the transition that is upending media and entertainment.
The June 22-26 international festival of creativity has a packed schedule examining AI’s influence in business, the rise of creators and the creator economy, the expansion of vertical dramas as a format and the boom in talent-centered consumer brands. In the 12 months since last year’s Cannes Lions gathering, all of these trends have accelerated faster that most would have predicted.
Variety will fan out across the Croisette with activities and coverage of what should by a dynamic week by the sea in Cannes. Cannes Lions is one of the few places where big corporate brands still go big — Spotify’s concert menu for its famously large Spotify Beach installation includes Raye, Mike D and Mumford & Sons. Ludacris is on tap for UTA’s annual invite-only party at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc down the road in Antibes.
Colin Jost and Seth Meyers will hold court in late-night IRL for NBCUniversal at its space on Wednesday night, with Alan Cumming joining them to DJ and special appearances promised from Bravo stars Lindsay Hubbard (“Summer House”) and designer Rachel Zoe.
Other notable names who will be on the scene this week include Oprah Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Questlove and Malcolm Gladwell, Stella McCartney, Mel Robbins and host of CMOs and related disciplines from Fortune 500 firms.
Here are 10 events and trends to watch out for coverage on Variety.com this week.
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Apple’s Eddy Cue Talks to Jerry Bruckheimer
Image Credit: Getty Images Apple’s Eddy Cue takes the stage as Cannes Lions’ honoree as Entertainment Person of the Year. Cue, the longtime Apple leader who steered the company into content and the App Store, will be in the spotlight as Apple is preparing for its first CEO transition in 15 years as Tim Cook bows out and another Apple lifer, John Ternus, steps up. Cue will sit down on the opening day of the festival at the Palais for a conversation with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, which will likely keep the focus on moviemaking and creativity rather than what the CEO handoff set for Sept. 1 will mean for the tech giant.
