The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity have announced changes for the 2025 edition.

Set to take place from June 16 to 20, the festival will double funding to provide 2 million euros (approximately INR 18 crore) worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through the Equity, Representation, and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for its second year

Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, Lions, said, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognise the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we're prioritising increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.” 

Applications for the ERA pass are open now and will close on 5 December.

Award entries for the festival will open on 16 January. In terms of changes for the awards, the Glass Lion category which was added 10 years ago to celebrate gender-aware communication is evolving to promote disability, race, sexuality and social inequity.

Marian Brannelly, global director - awards, Lions, explained, "Gender representation remains essential, and following consultation and research there is now a need to evolve the Lion to recognise the importance of intersectionality, from disability and race to sexuality and social inequity. This Lion is an award for change. Expanding the scope allows us to celebrate ideas that promote more equitable representation for a broader range of communities and also reflect the importance of embedding authentic inclusivity throughout the creative process.”

Further, the 'Social and Influencer' Lions have been renamed the 'Social and Creator' Lions to recognise creators' increasingly important role in the landscape. 

The organisers have also announced 'Country Pavilions'. The idea is to drive greater global representation of countries at Cannes Lions. 

This will provide countries with the opportunity to showcase local creativity on the global stage, promote creative economies and serve as a hub for learning sessions, as well as benefit from cross-country networking. A dedicated content stage will accompany the pavilions and showcase truly global content and perspectives.

Thea Skelton, VP - festivals, Lions, said, “We know that creativity is an overpowered economic growth lever. The global creative economy is estimated at USD 985bn and could represent 10 percent of global GDP before 2030, according to the think tank G20 Insights. With this pace and scale we believe that countries and governments have an opportunity to supercharge their creative economy by showcasing their capabilities at Cannes Lions in front of some of the most influential minds in the industry.”