Dubai Lynx and Cannes Lions festivals cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
The 2020 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Dubai Lynx have both been cancelled. On April 3, Ascential, the company that owns Cannes Lions, announced that the festival and awards would not take place this year. The announcement came two weeks after the festival was postponed to October as part of previously announced contingency plans made with French authorities in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
On April 8, Dubai Lynx – which is a partnership between Ascential and
Campaign Middle East’s publisher, Motivate Media Group – announced that the Dubai-based Festival of Creativity will no longer take place in September 2020 as planned. The next Festival will now be held from 7-10 March 2021. Due to the pandemic, it too had been first moved later in the year, from its original dates in March.
In a statement, Dubai Lynx said: “The impact of coronavirus continues to be felt both globally and across the MENA region. Health and economic concerns are now determining the priorities of societies and businesses across the world. Our customers and partners in the MENA creative marketing and media industries are facing unparalleled challenges and the need to protect companies and people, and to support consumers, is their priority during this challenging time. Our difficult decision follows in-depth consultations with our partners and customers in response to the unprecedented global situation. We therefore felt it important to remove uncertainty and provide clarity to our community around the running of the Dubai Lynx Awards and Festival.”
To give the global advertising industry its creative fix, though,
Cannes Lions has announced Lions Live, a digital education, inspiration and networking experience that will run throughout June under the theme ‘Creativity Matters’. Activity will build to a peak during the original dates of Cannes Lions, June 22-26.
Meanwhile The Loeries, the Johannesburg-based awards show due to take place in September, announced it will be free for all entrants in 2020.