Tour of Cannes, Lunch, and Catamaran Cruise

Our first full day in Cannes started with a walking tour that felt like stepping onto a movie set. As we wandered through Old Town, I was in awe of the charming buildings. I loved seeing clothes hung out to dry. It added so much life and character to the streets. We peeked into a local market bursting with the most vibrant fruit I’ve ever seen (seriously, it looked fake). By the end of the tour, I was ready to pack up my life and move here.
We had lunch at Maison Cresci, and it was amazing. I ordered half a margherita pizza, which was enormous!. I also had to quickly adapt to the European way of no pre-sliced pizza. After absolutely butchering it with a knife and fork, I felt like I could’ve used a crash course in pizza etiquette.
Then we hopped on a ferry to board the Rivage Croisier catamaran (so Miami of us, right?). I snuck in a little boat nap before diving into the super salty Mediterranean. I definitely got my workout paddling around.
Our group went to Le Palm Beach Casino for dinner, where we devoured some seriously tasty pasta. Honestly, I probably ate half my body weight in truffle pasta during this trip.

Tour of Foundation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Nice, and Medusa

This felt like our longest day. We started by taking a bus to the Fondation Maeght. The museum featured a lot of abstract art, but my favorite piece was Going up by Arman. I was mesmerized by the dozens of clocks!
We traveled to Saint-Paul de Vence, which was absolutely stunning. My urge to move to the South of France only grew stronger. Charming shops lined the streets, including an adorable Limoges box shop, (of course, I had to get one). For lunch, I tried a pesto burrata salad. Yum!
After grabbing some much-needed coffee., we wandered around Nice. We passed a rocky beach that looked painful to walk on, but it was absolutely beautiful. We did a bit of sightseeing, and along the way we picked up an insider scoop: some of the buildings’ windows were painted rather than real. It was all pretty Nice (had to squeeze in at least one dad joke).
To finish off the night, we headed to a cabaret show. Although it was pricy, it was well worth it. The dancers and singers were incredible, and the energy was electric.

We had some class time to dive deeper into what to expect at the festival. We also met Steve Latham, who is Head of Learning at Cannes Lions. He was incredibly kind and gave us great advice, like striking up conversations with everyone you meet.
We headed to the Picasso Museum, which was fascinating to explore. Some of his pieces were so simple and childlike that I thought, I could do this. But then I realized it’s not about whether I could make the art; it’s about whether I would’ve ever thought to. That’s what makes him different. Picasso’s work wasn’t about technical skill. Instead, it was about emotion and imagination. It reminded me a lot of advertising. The most memorable campaigns aren’t always the most “professional.” They’re the ones that take risks, break rules, and make people feel something. In this chaotic world, simplicity can be refreshing.
We then had some free time to explore Antibes. I met a few independent artists and even bought some handcrafted jewelry. There were so many adorable little knick-knacks to discover. Pro tip: bring some euros with you, cash came in handy, and I scored a few deals with local vendors!

Festival Prep, tour of the Picasso Museum, and Old Antibes

Pre-Festival Prep and Registration

STUDY! I was a bit nervous about this Who’s Who test, so highly recommend studying before the trip. Once you arrive, the days are so packed that it’s hard to carve out time. I locked in for two full days before the class started, then did lighter reviews throughout the week. The test ended up being super helpful. I even met some of the people who were on it! I also suggest learning a few facts about each speaker, just in case you bump into them.
Having a whole day just for planning was incredibly helpful. With so many talks and events happening at once, taking the time to map everything out made a huge difference. The Cannes Lions app was a lifesaver for keeping everything organized and finding sessions. My original itinerary looked nothing like my final version. My advice? Review the schedule thoroughly and make a list of the talks you want to hit. Each night, I’d review the app again to add or switch events for the next day. It was also a highlight to meet Dale Bernstein and her son. Hearing her story was truly inspiring.
We ended the evening at La Maison Belle Vue with a farewell dinner for our amazing tour guide, Gabriel, who had helped us all week. Dinner was fantastic. I went for the truffle pasta, of course. The views were stunning too, perfect for a little photoshoot!