MIPCOM launches AI entertainment forum

MIPCOM Cannes and Cannes Lions are putting artificial intelligence deeper into their 2026 agendas as entertainment and advertising groups test how generative tools fit into production, rights and marketing. MIPCOM said on May 21 it will launch a new MIP AI Entertainment Forum for its October market in Cannes. Cannes Lions has separately rolled out 2026 programming that includes AI-focused sessions and a festival agenda highlighting companies such as Google DeepMind and Meta. HBO’s “The White Lotus,” meanwhile, is filming on the French Riviera during the Cannes Film Festival, adding a second Cannes storyline this month: prestige television as an economic asset for local tourism. ### Why did MIPCOM add a dedicated AI forum now? MIPCOM said in a May 21 press release that the MIP AI Entertainment Forum will debut at MIPCOM Cannes 2026, which runs from October 12 to 15 at the Palais des Festivals. The company described it as a new international conference and marketplace designed to bring AI “into the heart” of the global media and content business. The MIPCOM event page says the forum will connect executives working across AI, production and intellectual property, with AI activity “embedded across every day” of the market. The language is notable because it frames AI not as a side event but as part of how content is produced, valued and traded. ### What, specifically, is Cannes Lions doing on AI? (mipcom.com) Cannes Lions said in an April 21 programming announcement that its 2026 festival would feature speakers including Google DeepMind, alongside broader sessions on technology and creativity. The festival’s live programme page also lists AI-related sessions, including a Meta and Estée Lauder discussion on AI’s effect on a heritage brand. (mipcom.com) Cannes Lions is scheduled for June 22-26, 2026, in Cannes. While the company’s official materials surfaced in search do not use the exact phrase “AI & Tech Sandbox,” they do show a formal 2026 programme with AI and innovation content already built into the week. ### How does “The White Lotus” fit into the same Cannes conversation? (canneslions.com) Bloomberg reported on May 22 that HBO’s “The White Lotus” is filming in Cannes, underscoring television’s growing role in culture and tourism. Bloomberg said Hôtel Martinez, one of Cannes’s landmark hotels, is being used for the fourth season of the series. (canneslions.com) Screen Daily reported in April that HBO had confirmed filming on the French Riviera, with production set for Cannes, St. Tropez and Monaco. The trade publication said the season would use Hôtel Martinez in Cannes and Airelles Château de la Messardière in St. Tropez as key locations. (bloomberg.com) ### Why are these separate developments being discussed together? Cannes is hosting two different industry pitches at once. MIPCOM and Cannes Lions are using 2026 programming to present AI as part of the next operating model for media and marketing. At the same time, HBO’s production is giving French Riviera officials and hotel operators a live example of how a global television franchise can feed place marketing and visitor demand, according to Bloomberg. (screendaily.com) The overlap is geographic as well as commercial. MIPCOM, Cannes Lions and the Cannes Film Festival all use Cannes as a meeting point for media buyers, advertisers, studios, talent and tourism officials. That makes the city a useful stage for two parallel bets: AI as a workflow and business tool, and premium television as a tourism draw. (mipcom.com) ### What comes next on the calendar? Cannes Lions opens on June 22, 2026, with a programme that includes AI-related sessions and speakers from major technology and consumer brands. MIPCOM Cannes then runs October 12-15, when the new MIP AI Entertainment Forum is due to make its debut at the Palais des Festivals. (canneslions.com) (mipcom.com)