Digiday covers the latest from marketing and media at the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. More from the series →Cannes Lions 2026 is gearing up to be the advertising industry event’s biggest bet on creators yet. Digiday spoke with 10 creators and agencies who all agreed: though Cannes has been tilting toward creators for the last few years, this year marks a real tipping point.
Creators are getting their own dedicated beachside spots on the coveted French Riviera, hosting luncheons and leading workshops, and heading into the long weekend ready to court CMOs for long-term brand partnerships.
“Creators are a noticeably bigger slice of the pie,” said Corey Martin, creator and managing director of media and influence at communications agency Allison Worldwide.
AJ Eckstein, CEO of creator marketing agency The Creator Match, said Cannes has become the conference creators need to get to. “It’s at a level where, if you can go, you’ve ‘made it’ in the creator economy,” he said.
For creators too, this year feels the most profound.
