Seven things you need to know about Cannes Lions in 2025

The annual Cannes Lions rep meeting in London recently brought together country representatives from around the world. As UK reps for the international festival, we discussed the upcoming changes and opportunities for 2025.

1. An important date for your diary…

Cannes Lions will return to the Palais for its 72^nd year from 16-20 June 2025.

2. Tell me about the awards entry process

With some 30 categories to choose from, any changes to the award categories will be announced in November. Entries for the awards will open on 16 January, with the first fee increase starting on 6 March and the final deadline on 10 April 2025. The eligibility period will not change next year and is set from 8 February 2024 to 10 April 2025.

3. Tell me more about being a juror

Being a Cannes Lions juror is a huge accolade. Each year, the UK nominates a number of representatives, with 27 UK jurors being selected to judge the competition in 2024. Jury nominations are now closed and the Cannes Lions team will be making their final selections. Keep your eyes peeled for the selection announcements.

4. How do I get my content on stage?

Of course, Cannes Lions isn’t only about the awards. It’s a festival that inspires on creativity, strategy and effectiveness, with talks and interactive content designed to do just that. The LIONS team is looking for content that is completely original, inspiring and answers the question “so what?”.

If you have a brilliant idea for a session or simply a compelling speaker, the call for content will open from 7 November to 31 December.

5. How can I enter the Young Lions competition?

To enter the Young Lions Competitions, you must be aged 18-31, work in the industry and enter as a pair. You must first win your local competition, which in the UK is run by us (the AA). Categories include Design, Digital, Film, Marketers, Media, Print and PR (run by the PRCA) – with the UK having success in three categories this year.

As UK reps, we will be opening our call for the 30^th year of Young Lions entrants in January. The local competition will take place from February and March, and winners will be announced in April. This will be followed by virtual bootcamps and networking sessions prior to attending the Global Young Lions competition in Cannes itself in June.

Keep an eye on our website for details in the New Year, or get in touch with Phoebe in our events team with any questions.

6. Why does the festival and winning a LION matter so much?

Hearing from the regional reps in the room, we heard how participation in Cannes Lions can change global perceptions of a country. For example, we saw a presentation from Emuron Alemu, Rep for Kenya, who won the best-rated talk of LIONS in 2024. His talk aimed to break down any existing stereotypes about his country by showing the vibrant digital and creative community that thrives across Kenya. Emuron highlighted how the most compelling talks are those that are culturally relevant and share new insights about advertising across the world.

We also heard from Askhat Uskembayev, Rep for Kazakhstan, who went above and beyond as rep, hosting a huge celebration in Astana when the country won its first LION this year. He marked the moment by shaving off his beard (which he’d been growing since 2012 as a challenge to his country’s creatives and would only cut it off once a LION was secured)!

7. How can I attend the festival?

Delegate passes are now available to buy via the Cannes Lions website here. There are also funding opportunities such as See it Be it for women in advertising and LIONS scholarship for the next generation of creative talent to attend the awards.

The AA looks forward to flying the flag for Team GB on the Croisette in 2025.