First-timers top tips

Advice and top tips for attending Cannes Lions

Attending Cannes Lions for the first time? Here’s the insider’s guide on everything you need to know to make the most of your time at the Festival.

Watch our webinar to get prepared.

Watch our webinar with the Cannes Lions team to find out what to expect at the Festival, top tips to maximise your time, how to plan your schedule and how to make the most of the official Cannes Lions 2025 app, along with a Q&A.

Pre-arrival checklist

Book your flights and accommodation. We recommend arriving Sunday 15 June and leaving on or after Saturday 21 June so that you don’t miss Monday’s content or the closing party on Friday.
Download the app once it launches in May to plan your personalised agenda and connect with other delegates in advance. Top tip: we’ll have free Wi-Fi available onsite at the Festival.
Locate your badge barcode in your emails or in the App – available early June.
Pack a recyclable water bottle to use at the Festival. You’ll find water refill stations signposted on the Map.
Not sure what to pack? We’ve got a handy list for you.

Festival checklist

We’re open all week for badge collection, but we recommend you collect your badge early on Sunday 15 June, any time from 8am to 8pm.
Want to find your way around in a group? Join a tour of the venue in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Hindi, Hindi, Portuguese or Spanish, and make friends. Simply search ‘first-timer’ in the app or drop by the Tour Booth located by the red carpet stairs.
Share your experience on social media and connect with other delegates using the hashtag #CannesLions2025.

What not to miss at Cannes Lions 2025

The Lounge is great for networking. You can invite other delegates to meet you there by messaging them directly in the app.
Welcome Reception for first-timers: Join our welcome reception meet-up from 2:30pm - 3:30pm Monday at the Creators Rooftop and make connections over tea, coffee and mimosas – the perfect way to start the week. You can sign up for this via the app.
Attend a First-Timer Tour, scheduled on Monday and Tuesday of the Festival.
Explore Cabana row to discover exciting activities from our Partners. Cabana row is a lively area within the Festival grounds where companies showcase their work in cabanas – offering a relaxed space for networking, meetings and discussions.
Dive into our daily networking Meet-Ups where you can connect with industry legends in interactive sessions and workshops. You can find these in the app.
Find our LIONS Sustainability Hub in the Debussy Foyer. This is the Festival’s central hub for delegates passionate about building a sustainable future for our industry. Home to the ACT Responsible exhibition, showcasing impactful advertising that addresses social and environmental challenges, the hub also hosts a range of partners and programming designed to inform and inspire practical action for your role. Open all week. Come along and meet like-minded individuals and be inspired by the opportunities that come with a sustainable future.
Experience creative excellence in the Basement. Head downstairs in the Palais to explore work that defines innovation and inspiration.
End your Festival experience in style at the Closing Party – located at Carlton Beach on Friday from 9pm to midnight. Complimentary drinks and food will be provided.