Cannes Lions confirms physical return in 2022

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will be held as a real-life event in 2022, back in its longtime home on the French Riviera on 20-24 June.

Having been forced to cancel the 2020 edition and to run a virtual event this year, the festival chairman Philip Thomas said: “We can’t wait to reunite the industry and bring the community together once again.”

Thomas added that the festival would build on the digital access introduced during the pandemic, stating that “as the world shifts and changes we know our role as conveners needs to evolve”.

This will involve Lions Membership, which is the digital subscription introduced in March 2020 and has more than 10,000 members.

Jurors will conduct the “initial stages” of judging remotely and assemble in Cannes for the “final stages”, according to Susie Walker, vice-president, awards and insight.

The 2022 edition is also intended to be the most sustainable of the festival's nearly 70-year history

It will open for entries and registrations on January 20.