Cannes Lions 2026: Your Go‑To Guide for What to See & Where to Be
It’s that time again — the industry is buzzing for one of the biggest events of the year: the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity! Our teams will be on the ground once again at the Havas Café, the hub of all things Havas located right on the beach at 45 Boulevard de la Croisette and open throughout the festival.
This year, the conversations will be focused on human-led AI innovation, creativity, and craft, all steered by the Havas leading narrative: “Growth, powered by desire.” We’ve gathered all our favorite highlights for the week right here — keep reading for the ultimate POP guide to Cannes 2026.
ALL IN – POP x Casino Barrière experience
Last year at Cannes, we launched Vermeer.ai, Havas’ proprietary AI solution that empowers creatives to create and produce higher quality content at scale. This year, we’re taking things even further, with an exclusive activation in partnership with French brand Barrière.
At the Havas Café, POP x Barrière will unveil “ALL IN”, a cinematic activation that brings Vermeer.ai’s creative power to life in a high-end casino-inspired experience. Set against the glamour of classic films, guests step into the Casino Barrière universe and trigger their journey with a personalized photo entry that is turned into multiple creative adaptations. Each output is powered by the Vermeer.ai ecosystem, orchestrating best-in-class technology partners within a seamless pipeline to demonstrate the future of scalable, personalized storytelling.
Discover the Havas Café agenda and more
With a packed schedule every day, it can be tough to prioritize the hours in the day you do have. Luckily, we’ve compiled the panels and events at the Havas Café that you won’t want to miss.
Humanizing AI to Power Insights, Creativity, and Desire: Havas x Vurvey Labs (Monday, June 22, 2:30-3:30pm)
As AI reshapes how brands generate insights and creativity, the real opportunity lies in making work that’s deeply human. In this session, leaders from Havas, Vurvey Labs, and Mindscope explore the thinking behind Portraits of Desire, revealing how emotion, instinct, and data can work together to unlock more meaningful brand connections. Based on proprietary research led by Havas and real-world application, the discussion will examine how human curiosity, motivation, and desire can be amplified — not replaced — by intelligent systems; why the most powerful ideas happen when human perspective and machine intelligence operate in sync; and how brands can design for that intersection to better understand, connect with, and move people.
Can AI Shape Desire Without Breaking The Narrative?: The Future of PR & Authentic Voice (Tuesday, June 23, 11:30am-12:20pm)
As AI accelerates content creation, brands face a deeper challenge: not just being seen but being chosen. In a world of infinite output, building desire matters more than capturing attention. This panel explores how brands can use AI to amplify creativity without losing authenticity or voice. As technology scales production, human insight, storytelling, and emotional connection become even more essential to building affinity, trust, and lasting loyalty.
Presentation of the Prosumer Report: Alpha Rise: Masculinity In Crisis (Thursday, June 25, 11:00-11:45am)
In 2023, Google searches for toxic masculinity surged by 300%. This phenomenon reflects an obsession and reveals a reality: our societies are undergoing a crisis of male identity. So much so that today, 40% of Prosumers worldwide believe it is harder to be a man than a woman, and 45% believe that masculinity is under attack and must be defended. What does it mean to be a man today? Are we creating new definitions? And under what influence? Havas’ new Prosumers study, a quantitative survey conducted in more than 25 countries, will explore how contemporary masculine identity is negotiated through contradictions, torn between social progress and the quest for authority.
BONUS: Pick Me, Love Me, Buy Me: The Science of Brand Desire at the Adweek House (Wednesday, June 24, 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM)
We do get out of the house sometimes — and the best reason to leave the Havas Café is to head over to the Adweek House for a panel that includes the Global CSOs of our some of our partners, Havas Media Network and Havas Creative. The event focuses on a crucial dilemma: Brands have never had more data, more tools, or more ways to reach people — yet many still struggle to become truly wanted. The brands outperforming their categories are the ones people actively choose, trust, talk about, and return to — creating stronger loyalty, pricing power, and long-term relevance.
In this session, brand leaders will discuss why desire is emerging as one of the most powerful competitive advantages in modern marketing, turning brands from interchangeable to indispensable. As AI makes discovery and targeting increasingly accessible to everyone, we’ll explore what it takes to build brands people don’t just recognize, but genuinely crave and choose again and again.
The heart of Cannes: the awards!
Even with all the fun and engagement ahead of us at Cannes, we can’t forget the real reason we’re here — because of the work we do for our clients. Across markets and languages, our teams and partners are building ideas that reach global awareness and earn attention on the Croisette — and we’re optimistic about a strong showing this year.
Recent standouts like “From a Crocodile to the Goat” with BETC for Lacoste, “Wax Tracks” with Havas Chicago for Babybel, and “Chat GP” with Havas Lynx for the Undoctored Truth Alliance have already picked up serious recognition across the D&AD Awards, the Clios, The One Show Awards, and more.
That momentum matters: it proves that when craft, technology, and audience insight line up, the work performs — in market and on stage. Awards or not, that’s why we’re here: to celebrate the teams, meet collaborators, and keep raising the bar for creative systems that scale with taste.
Want even more Cannes info? Check out the Havas Café website to register, see the full agenda, and download a full guide to this year’s festival.
And of course, POP will be on the ground capturing every moment — daily recaps, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, and more — so don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for all the Cannes content!
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