Cannes Lions postponed until October

Amid the growing outbreak of the coronavirus – and the cancellation of many other global events – organisers of the French festival published a contingency plan last week, but did not put it into action while it was "monitoiring the situation".

Shortly after, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe began implementing restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus, including a ban on public gatherings and a temporary closure of its borders.

Today (18 March), chairman Philip Thomas and managing director Simon Cook issued a statement confirming the change in schedule.

Cook said: “Our community is facing unprecedented challenges and collaboration has never been more important.

"We are focussed now on planning the festival – and our beating heart, the Lions – to ensure our community is able to recognise the extraordinary work it contributes to business, organisations and society.”

Cannes Lions will now run in the south of France from 26-30 October, instead of 22-26 June.

The four-day event comprises a conference in the main Palais as well as its awards and many fringe events on beaches and boats. It typically attracts more than 20,000 attendees from around the world.

However, it is not the only event in the advertising calendar to be postponed until October. Advertising Week New York and the Association of National Advertisers’ 'Masters of Marketing' conference will now also take place in the same month.

A full breakdown of events that have been cancelled or rescheduled as a result of the coronavirus can be found here.