Written by Kianna Best on Jun 10, 2024. Posted in Awards and Festivals

Spotify Beach returns to Cannes Lions for their tenth year

Major music streaming provider Spotify have earnt quite the reputation as the hot ticket during the Cannes Lions festivities. And for their tenth year running, the energy is nowhere near slowing down. After last year’s star studded line-up of panellists and performances, this year is upping the ante with talks from John Legend to Janelle Monae and artsits like Tyla and Shaboozey taking to the stage. The Spotify Beach will take place from 17-20 June.

Image courtesy of Jovan Vasiljević on Unsplash

“Spotify is home to premier content that drives culture. It’s part of our DNA to stay innovative, and we use this superpower to create impactful connections between artists, listeners, and brands,” said Brian Berner, Spotify’s head of global advertising sales & partnerships. “This year, we’re spotlighting the culture-defining creators that live on Spotify and how we’ve evolved as a platform to become the destination for advertisers looking to creatively engage with fans in an authentic and impactful way.”

“More than ever, this year’s Spotify Beach line-up features the next generation of superstars like Tyla, Shaboozey, and Benson, who have captured the eyes and ears of music fans in 2024 and have some of the hottest songs of the summer,” said Joe Hadley, global head of artist partnerships & audience at Spotify. “We’ve always taken pride in our Spotify Beach stage. It’s a place where superstars and rising talents are celebrated, a real-life representation of Spotify’s commitment to growing careers at every level.”

Keeping their finger on the pulse, the first day of talks will open with a discussion between American musician and songwriter Shaboozey who recently featured on Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album, and Pepsi chief marketing officer Mark Kirkman. They will be conversing on bran partnership and creative content. In the afternoon segment, South African superstar Tyla and comedian, content creator and podcast host Jake Shane will bring Gen Z culture to the stage discussing the bond between artists and fans, building a community on Spotify and defining your brand.

18 June is jam packed with insightful conversations, starting off with musician and now entrepreneur John Legend talking with Spotify chief public affairs officer Dustee Jenkins about how his inspiration, authenticity, and creative spirit led to the creation of his powerful professional and personal brands. The afternoon will then kick off with a deep dive into podcast trends in the form of a game show. Hosted by Robyn Delmonte, the show will see U Up? co-hosts Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid go up against Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry of the Colin and Samir Show. Taking over the night, performances will take place form Benson Boone, Tyla and Shaboozey with DJ sets from Tinea Taylor and Arthi.

Gen Z conversations will continue on Wednesday with French creator and videographer Sally taking to the stage to highlight what makes the “most creative generation yet” tick, followed by a celebration of the most innovative ideas from the 2024 Future Lions competition with global digital design and communication agency AKQA. The afternoon session will be an exploration of AI in music. Headed by Spotify’s global head of music partnerships and audience Joe Hadley and Xabier “X” Jarnigan, Spotify’s original AI DJ, the conversation will centre around the ever evolving presence of artificial intelligence in the music industry. Grammy Award-winning musician Janelle Monae will join the talk. The evening performances to round off the day will include Arcade Fire and a DJ set from Justice. DJ sets by Pearl Thusi & Arthi.