Canva is significantly increasing its presence at the Cannes Lions festival by launching its first official beach takeover from June 16 to 19. The company will occupy La Plage du Martinez, transforming the space into an interactive venue designed by its global head of experiential marketing, Jimmy Knowles.
The activation, called the Canva Cabana, will feature networking zones, towel service, and creative stations where attendees can design custom tote bags and enjoy ice pops while exploring Canva’s tools. In partnership with Variety, the space will host discussions with industry leaders such as Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein, Disney Global Ad President Rita Ferro, and musician-turned-entrepreneur will.i.am.
Knowles said the goal is to engage marketers directly and communicate Canva’s long-term mission to empower organizations in design, focusing especially on CXOs and marketing teams. The design of the space highlights Canva’s evolution from a consumer-friendly tool to one that facilitates team collaboration and merges productivity with creativity.
Although Canva did not disclose its budget, Knowles confirmed the company has tripled its Cannes investment since its first participation three years ago. The venue will maintain an open and inclusive atmosphere, welcoming all registered attendees without exclusivity.
This expanded presence follows Canva’s recent successful event in Los Angeles, which attracted 3,500 participants for keynotes and product demos. While Canva has attended Cannes previously, this beach takeover marks a more assertive step toward establishing itself as a serious enterprise player.
Over the past 18 months, Canva has launched several campaigns, including the UK’s “Design Against Dull” and the US’s “Love Your Work,” that emphasize creativity in the workplace. It has also introduced enterprise-focused features like Magic Studio, an AI suite aimed at competing with Adobe Firefly, along with enhanced admin and governance tools.
Canva reports that 95% of Fortune 500 companies use its platform, with Canva Enterprise adopted by firms such as Reddit and Zoom. However, Knowles acknowledges awareness of Canva is still relatively shallow among business users, and the Cannes activation will serve as an opportunity to collect feedback and deepen understanding.
Adobe remains a strong competitor at Cannes, hosting its own space near the Palais des Festivals and collaborating with Coca-Cola to showcase its role in the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. Despite generating $2.5 billion in revenue last year compared to Adobe’s $21.5 billion, Canva’s fast user growth and user-friendly design give it a potential advantage in attracting new business users.
At Cannes, Canva will measure success through foot traffic, attendee engagement, and the generation of sales leads, aiming to inspire creativity and demonstrate its growing enterprise value.