Where Black Creatives Need To Be At Cannes Lions 2026

10 sessions, spaces and conversations to have on your radar

We're going to be at Cannes Lions this year, and we're not just thinking about which talks sound interesting. We're thinking about which rooms Black creatives need to be in.

Cannes Lions brings together some of the biggest voices across creativity, media, advertising, technology and culture. For Black creatives, creators, founders and storytellers, the real value is in finding the sessions, spaces and conversations that speak to influence, ownership, community, culture and the future of creative work.

From Black joy and creator entrepreneurship to AI, African creativity and cultural capital, these are the Cannes Lions 2026 sessions and spaces we think Black creatives should have on their radar. Most require festival accreditation or a main badge to attend, so it's worth registering early if you're planning to be there.

Monday 22 June

Black Joy Brunch

Time: 11:00am to 1:00pm

Location: Microsoft Gardens Stage

Access: Open (RSVP required)

RSVP Here

This feels like an essential one to start the week with. Cannes Lions can be a big and sometimes overwhelming space, so a brunch centred around Black joy feels like a powerful reminder that community matters just as much as opportunity.

For Black creatives, this is the kind of space that can offer connection, visibility and ease before heading into the rest of the Festival.

Cultural Curiosity: Three Minutes. Three Slides. Three Signals.

Time: 1:30pm to 2:15pm

Location: The Terrace, The Palais

Speakers: Amy Daroukakis, Amiyra Perkins (Pinterest), Sarah Owen (RADAR), Kojo Marfo (My Runway Group)

Access: Badge holders

This session brings together global futurists, strategists and trend forecasters to share cultural signals and small shifts that could point to bigger changes.

For Black creatives, this one matters because it shows how the industry reads culture and who gets credited for spotting the shifts. Cultural insight is often lived experience before it becomes an industry trend. Understanding how cultural conversations are shaped at Cannes can help you see where your work fits into the broader narrative.

Tuesday 23 June

The Cannes LionHeart Seminar: Oprah Winfrey

Time: 10:00am

Location: Lumière Theatre, The Palais

Access: Badge holders

Oprah Winfrey will be honoured as the 2026 Cannes LionHeart, an award celebrating people who use their platform to drive positive change and inspire others. She will speak before receiving the award later that evening.

For Black creatives, Oprah's presence at Cannes Lions is bigger than celebrity. It is about platform-building, storytelling, ownership and the power of media to shift narratives. This is essential watching.

From Corporate Creator to Creator CEO: Turning Influence into Business

Time: 1:30pm to 2:30pm CEST

Location: Microsoft Gardens Stage

Speakers: Jackie Aina, Olamide Olowe

Access: Open (Registration required)

Register Here

This is a must for creators thinking beyond content and towards business ownership. Jackie Aina and Olamide Olowe both represent what it looks like to turn influence, audience trust and cultural relevance into brands with real commercial power.

For Black creatives, this conversation feels especially relevant because so many of us are already multi-hyphenates, building communities, creating content, launching products and shaping culture at the same time. This session speaks directly to sustainable career-building.

The Algorithm Doesn't Know Your Culture: Building Trust in the Age of AI

Time: 3:00pm to 3:45pm CEST

Location: DEPT® Secret Garden

Featuring: Bonang Matheba

Moderator: Ama Hill

Access: Open (Registration required)

Register Here

This session looks at the tension between algorithmic efficiency and human authenticity, asking what happens when technology does not fully understand the culture it is trying to categorise or serve.

For Black creatives, this is one of the most important conversations of the week. Algorithms can amplify culture, but they can also flatten it. This session speaks directly to the need for context, nuance and culturally intelligent technology.

Wednesday 24 June

Building Legacy: Moving Culture through Originality and Borderless Expression

Time: 12:15pm to 12:45pm CEST

Location: Debussy Theatre, The Palais

Featuring: Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Access: Badge holders

This session explores what it takes for stories, films and brands to move across cultures without losing what made them matter.

For Black creatives, this is interesting to watch because our work is often asked to be more "universal" before it is seen as commercially viable. This session asks a better question: what if specificity is what gives the work its power? It's a conversation worth understanding, even if the framing comes from outside the Black creative space.

The Power of Community: How Creators Build Influence That Moves Culture

Time: 1:30pm to 2:30pm CEST

Location: Microsoft Gardens Stage

Featuring: Keith Lee, Olandria Carthen

Access: Open (Registration required)

Register Here

This session speaks directly to the power of community-led influence. Keith Lee has built a platform rooted in trust, taste and audience connection, while Olandria Carthen brings the perspective of cultural influence and entrepreneurship.

For Black creatives, this is a useful conversation because community has always been central to how our work moves. The question is how creators build influence that does not just generate attention, but shifts culture.

Thursday 25 June

Brand Love Matches for Cultural Heat and Business Impact

Time: 5:00pm to 5:30pm CEST

Location: Rotonde Stage, Rotonde

Access: Badge holders

This session explores how brands create partnerships with creators, celebrities, athletes and tastemakers, and what makes those collaborations genuinely resonate. It's a conversation about chemistry, strategy and the brand-to-human connections that turn attention into lasting impact.

For Black creatives, this feels useful because brand partnerships can open doors, but only when they are built on alignment, respect and fair value exchange. If you're thinking about scaling your work through partnerships, this is essential listening.

The Distinctiveness Gap | Fireside Chat by afriCANNES

Time: 4:15pm to 4:35pm CEST

Location: DEPT® Secret Garden

Featuring: Kojo Marfo, Kofi Turkson, Bernard Kafui Sokpe, Addy Awofisayo, Chika Uwazie, Ben Williams

Access: Open (RSVP required - subject to approval)

RSVP Here

This session brings together voices working across African creativity, music, media, platforms and global marketing, looking at what it takes to bridge the gap between African cultural influence and industry infrastructure.

For Black creatives, this feels like one of the most relevant conversations to be in, especially for anyone thinking about ownership, access, representation and the commercial value of African creative output. If you can secure access, this is non-negotiable.

Friday 26 June

Culture to Capital

Time: 2:00pm to 2:30pm CEST

Location: The Forum, Rotonde

Presented by: Black At Cannes

Speakers: Obi Asika, Qing Madi, Carlo Murison

Access: Badge holders

This session looks at Nigeria's creative industries, from Afrobeats to advertising, and explores ownership, monetisation, infrastructure, brand partnerships and long-term value creation.

For Black creatives, this is essential because it moves the conversation beyond cultural influence and into economic power. It asks how African creativity can be protected, scaled and valued properly. This is the conversation that ties together everything else on this list.

What these sessions actually represent

These ten sessions are not random. They trace a line from community and joy through influence and business, landing at ownership and economic power. That progression matters.

Whether you attend as accredited press, badge holder or virtual participant, these are the rooms where conversations about Black creative futures are happening at industry scale. Some sessions are harder to access than others, so plan ahead, network, and register early where possible.

If you're at Cannes this year thinking about how to build a sustainable creative career, shift culture or own your work at scale, these are the conversations that will matter most.