• by Larissa Faw , March 11, 2020

Today, Cannes Lions has taken the first steps toward possibly postponing this year’s Festival of Creativity from its currently scheduled June 22-26 dates in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

Although insiders say October has internally become the key focus as organizers tentatively inquire about speaker availabilities during that time frame, the official line is that organizers still believe June’s festivities can take place as scheduled. Today’s announcement is to help alleviate the abruptness over a move and enable agencies to begin to explore alternative arrangements.

At the very least, organizers want the industry to know Cannes will not be cancelled. “We are fully committed to awarding Lions in 2020: all entries will still be judged and awarded by our global juries,” claims the statement.

As things stand, anyone who is submitting a Lions entry for 2020 should follow the existing process and timeline. If anything about that process changes, organizers will issue a further announcement.

“As the global situation is evolving constantly, we want to be open about our contingency plans,” explains Simon Cook, managing director, Cannes Lions. “We have consulted with our customers and partners and have prepared accordingly by putting measures in place to allow flexibility, should we need it. As always, the safety of all those involved is our utmost priority, and any decision we take will reflect this.”

It’s expected to be a busy fall, with high-profile festivals like Coachella, Stagecoach and Goldenvoice already postponed to October.