Brand Activations, Experiential Marketing & Hospitality in Cannes

Cannes hosts more major international events than any other city of its size. Across the year, the Palais des Festivals and the broader French Riviera become the stage for the global content industry, luxury travel, real estate, film, and the marketing world. Each event brings a different audience, a different culture, and a different brief.

Groove is an experiential marketing agency based in Cannes and Paris. We produce brand activations, hospitality programmes, and event strategies across the full Riviera calendar – from Cannes Lions and MIPIM to the Monaco Grand Prix and the Film Festival. Below is a brief overview of each event, with links to detailed guides on what each involves and what a serious presence costs.

The Cannes & French Riviera event calendar:

September

The world's largest in-water boat show. Best suited to luxury, marine, and high-net-worth lifestyle brands. See our full guide.

September/October

The global travel retail and duty-free industry showcase. Stand build and off-site hospitality are both significant. See our full guide.

October

One of the most prestigious classic sailing regattas in the world. Not technically in Cannes, but close enough to sit naturally in the Riviera event calendar. A hospitality-led opportunity for luxury, premium spirits, automotive, and financial services brands. See our full guide.

October

From major Parvis environments for the studios and broadcasters to targeted hospitality programmes for ad tech and specialist brands. See our full guide.

November

The international retail property market. Intimate hospitality and targeted meeting programmes work best here. See our full guide.

December

The invitation-only luxury travel trade show. Appointment-driven and boutique in format. See our full guide.

February

MIDEM has been the music industry's global meeting point since 1967. See our full guide.

February

The World AI Cannes Festival, known as WAICF, takes place in February in Cannes, has established itself as the leading European event dedicated to artificial intelligence in a business context. See our full guide.

March

The world's leading real estate event, with 20,000 attendees over four days. The largest Cannes market and one of the most commercially significant events in Europe. See our full guide.

April

CANNESERIES is the international festival dedicated to television series, held every April along the Croisette in Cannes. See our full guide.

April

The Ethereum Community Conference, known as EthCC, is the largest and longest-running annual Ethereum event in Europe. It takes place each spring.

April/May - biennial

Vintage and classic motorsport racing on the Monaco street circuit. A connoisseur hospitality event for luxury, heritage watch, collector, and premium financial services brands. See our full guide.

May

The most glamorous race on the Formula 1 calendar. Yachts in Port Hercule, circuit-view terraces, and Paddock Club access. Best suited to luxury, premium automotive, watch, and financial services brands. See our full guide.

May

Eleven days of global cultural visibility. Suits luxury, fashion, and entertainment brands with a genuine connection to cinema and culture. See our full guide.

May

The Marché du Film is the world's largest film market and operates inside the Cannes Film. See our full guide.

June

The international festival of creativity, drawing 15,000 senior marketing and advertising professionals. Beach activations, rooftop events, and hospitality programmes. See our full guide.

June

Datacloud Global Congress is the world's leading annual event for the digital infrastructure industry. It takes place each June at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

June

The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is one of the oldest and most distinctive events in the screen industry calendar. Created in 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, it takes place every June. See our full guide.

September

The Monaco Yacht Show is the world's leading superyacht event. Four days each September at Port Hercule. A UHNW audience of owners, collectors, family offices, and international wealth gathered in one of the most exclusive environments on earth. See our full guide.

How Groove works across the Riviera calendar

Being based in Cannes matters more than it might sound. Supplier relationships, venue knowledge, and understanding of how each event week actually runs are things that take years to develop and cannot be replicated by an agency parachuting in for the week. We have produced activations across this calendar for long enough to know what works, what fails, and what the same budget achieves in October versus May.

For clients attending multiple events across the year, we plan the full programme rather than treating each event as a separate project. That produces better results and better economics. If you are not sure which events are worth your investment and which are not, start with a conversation. We will give you a straight answer.

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