The second time around, we knew what to expect but Cannes still managed to surprise us.
If our first year was about finding our feet, this year was about making our mark. We arrived with a clear intention, to be in the rooms that matter, meet the people building the future of the creator economy, and contribute to the conversations shaping it. What followed was one of the most energising weeks the Viewture team has had.
The CAA x Viewture Mixer
The highlight of our week was our mixer at CAA House, which kicked off our trip on the very first night. The turnout genuinely blew us away and set the tone for everything that followed.
The room was full of exactly the kind of people we love spending time with, creators, industry leaders, brand partners and investors who are all thinking seriously about where this industry is heading. What made it particularly special this year was the intention behind it. Cannes for us was about cultivating new connections, meeting brilliant people we had not yet crossed paths with and starting conversations that we hope will become long-term relationships.
There is something about getting people together in an informal setting that no panel or activation can replicate. Conversations happen naturally, connections form quickly, and by the end of the evening you have met more people than a full day of scheduled meetings could deliver. That is the magic of Cannes, and we felt it from night one.
The Scale of It
For anyone who has not been, it is genuinely hard to describe the scale of Cannes Lions until you are standing in the middle of it.
The creator's presence this year had stepped up hugely. You could feel it in the rooms, in the conversations and in the way brands were showing up. Activations were out of this world, with brands like Poppi and Canva taking over entire spaces in ways that were impossible to ignore. Reddit, somehow, had a full working deli counter! The production values across the board have clearly raised the bar year on year and it shows.
That said, we made a deliberate choice to prioritise people over activations. The real value at Cannes is not in walking around looking at what brands have built, as impressive as that is. It is in the meetings, the conversations over coffee, the chance encounters that turn into something significant. We spent the majority of our time doing exactly that, and we would not change a thing.
Panels Worth Talking About
We sat in on some brilliant sessions across the week. The Match Made in Cannes panel with GK Barry was a standout, a genuinely honest conversation about the creator and brand relationship that felt relevant to everything we are working on at Viewture.
The marketing team particularly loved the C-Suite Marketing presence, with leaders from L'Oreal, Heinz, McDonald's and others sharing how they are thinking about the creator economy at the highest level. Hearing how global brands are approaching creator partnerships and what they are actually looking for was invaluable.
The F1 Party
The F1 party was exactly what you would hope for, and seeing Susie Wolff there was a genuine highlight for the team. Moments like that are a reminder of just how surreal it is that we get to call this work.
Our One Piece of Advice
If you are heading to Cannes for the first time, or even the second, the most important thing we can tell you is this: set out for the day and do not plan to go back.
The moment you leave to refresh you will miss something. There is always something new around the corner, always another conversation starting, always someone worth meeting just through the next door!
Until Next Year
Cannes Lions 2026 confirmed what we already suspected. The creator economy is no longer a side conversation at events like this. It is becoming the main one. We left with a depleted social battery, full notebooks, and a very long list of follow-ups.
See you there next year 🎬
