Informa, the London-listed events group that organises Monaco Yacht Show and Top Marques Monaco, will take over organisation of the World AI Cannes Festival from 2027. The company announced it will strengthen its partnership with the City of Cannes by integrating the festival into its AI Summit Series, which runs editions in London, New York, Las Vegas, Melbourne and Singapore.

The move expands Informa’s presence across the Alpes-Maritimes, where it already organises the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The integration is expected to enhance the festival’s international reach while maintaining its local foundation.

Fifth edition opens this week

The fifth World AI Cannes Festival opens this week at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, with more than 10,000 participants, 320 speakers and 220 exhibitors expected. Since launching, the event has positioned Cannes as an emerging European centre for artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

The Mayor of Cannes David Lisnard described the partnership as a natural progression in the city’s ambition to establish itself as a global platform for innovation and technology. “The decision to partner with Informa for the World AI Cannes Festival fully aligns with this ambition,” said the mayor in a statement. “By drawing on Informa’s expertise, the festival will strengthen its international reach, secure its long-term presence in our city and welcome the world’s AI leaders.”

The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, said the mayor, will remain central to the festival’s growth, with local teams continuing to support development alongside Informa.

Regional AI strategy

The Alpes-Maritimes Department has pursued an AI strategy since 2017 under its Terre d’IA initiative, supporting projects in partnership with the City of Cannes, Institut EuropIA and Maison de l’IA. Officials said the partnership with Informa will provide resources to expand visibility of the region’s AI ecosystem while strengthening digital transformation efforts.

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Photo credit: Kyriaki Topalidou, Monaco Life