Cannes Lions, the world’s leading international festival of creativity, has announced the launch of LIONS Sport, a new vertical that will debut at the 2026 edition with the aim of bringing together the global sports marketing and advertising industry in a single space.
This new category seeks to further consolidate the festival as an international meeting point for brands, organisations and key stakeholders across the sports sector. In this context, Cannes Lions has held conversations over the past year with some of the most relevant brands operating at the intersection of creativity, culture and sport, among which the organisation has included Celta.
This relationship dates back to the 2024 edition, following the international impact of the ‘Oliveira dos Cen Anos’ campaign, which became a reference point within the industry by showing how a creative team deeply rooted in local identity and culture can achieve global relevance.
As part of this new initiative, Celta is proud to be represented within the LIONS Sport ecosystem in 2026, alongside organisations such as FIFA, Wimbledon, Formula 1, NFL, English Cricket, P&G and Fenway Sports Group, in a programme that expands the traditional scope of Cannes Lions into the world of sport.
This presence will allow the club to take part in the working dynamics and conversations that will shape the development of this new category, together with some of the most relevant voices in the global sports industry.
In the words of Sophie Godfrey, Global Growth Director and LIONS Sport Lead: “LIONS Sport reflects the emergence of a new creative space for sport, shaped by a growing community of clubs, leagues and rights holders recognised for creative excellence at Cannes Lions. Organisations such as Celta are part of this incredible ecosystem, where ambition and creativity are increasingly defining how sport connects with culture and commercial value.”
Godfrey adds that “the campaign around the anthem was a core inspiration for me at the start of the research process into LIONS Sport, a project created to bring those voices together and continue building the future of this sector.”
This first edition of LIONS Sport represents an opportunity for the club to continue strengthening its positioning in the fields of creativity, communication and cultural storytelling, in dialogue with key international stakeholders across the sports industry.
