Cannes cancelled again – but there will be awards this year

In the unlikely event that anyone was planning a trip to the south of France this June, Cannes has announced that the festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row. The event will be “fully digital” instead, but unlike last year, there will be awards presented during Cannes week, 21st to 25th June.

There will be an events programme with live and on demand content, with access via packages that go on sale in May. A standalone digital pass to Cannes Lions Live (without membership benefits) costs €249, with lower rates available for the under 30s and future talent.

Philip Thomas, chairman of the Lions, said: “Over the last year, we’ve been consulting with our customers and working on our plans, including the development of Cannes Lions Live as part of the new LIONS Membership platform. We are now able to move fully to this format for 2021 – which will have all the celebration, inspiration and participation of Cannes Lions – to unite the global community virtually during Cannes Lions Live this June.”

Simon Cook, managing director of the Lions, said: “Cannes Lions Live will also signal the return of the Lions awards. After the benchmark of the awards was paused last year, we want to be able to give our community the chance to immerse themselves in the creative work once again. We’ll be championing the work on a huge scale – tracking progress throughout the week, analysing the winners, delivering insights, identifying new talent – it’s the return of the benchmark and a moment for the industry to reflect but also look forward.”