Oprah Winfrey took the Croisette at Cannes Lions on Tuesday, drawing a crowd that filled the event venue’s stage-level seating to the brim about 30 minutes ahead of the 10 a.m. start time of her keynote appearance.
Soon, folks started making their way to the upper level to ensure they could catch the TV host, producer, actress, author, philanthropist and outright media icon.
And when Winfrey took to the stage, phone cameras lit up the room as the crowd erupted into a roar.
Winfrey came to town to receive the 2026 Cannes LionHeart an honor celebrating “individuals who are driving positive change.” As such, it is designed to recognize “those who use creativity, influence and leadership as a force for good.”
Winfrey discussed her work and values during the annual Cannes LionHeart Seminar on Tuesday morning with Phil Thomas, the chairman of the Festival of Creativity, at the Lumière Theatre at the Palais des Festivals. Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook had told The Hollywood Reporter that Oprah embodies the Lions’ spirit. In his introduction, Thomas highlighted Winfrey’s decades of influential work and shared how long it took him to get her to Cannes Lions, mentioning that he found his first-ever email invitation to her team – from 2012.
