BEACH BUZZ

Spotify Beach 2026: Fandom and Culture Collide at Cannes Lions

June 28, 2026

We’ve just marked a dozen years of Spotify hitting the Croisette for the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and this year’s Spotify Beach might have been our most memorable yet—a can’t-miss destination for the creators, artists, brands, and fans descending on the South of France. Throughout the week, Spotify Beach celebrated the power of fans with a stacked lineup of sessions, interactive experiences, and nighttime performances.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

On the Croisette

In addition to our compound on the beach, Spotify kept busy at the festival.

Co-CEO Gustav Söderström joined a panel at Axios House, digging into the ways Spotify’s Large Taste Model helps users shape their own experiences on the platform.
Co-CEO Alex Norström gave a keynote interview to Financial Times Live, where he framed Spotify’s “time well spent” philosophy and the recent landmark licensing agreements with Universal Music Group
Chief Public Affairs officer Dustee Jenkins spoke with Variety about the changing ways brands communicate with their fans.
And Spotify’s Tunetorials campaign was shortlisted for two Lions in the Audio & Radio category.

Turning up the volume at Spotify Beach

All week, panelists and guests explored ideas shaping culture, fandom, and the evolving role of brands in today’s creative landscape.

Want to know what it was like on the ground? DJ X shared some of his favorite spots on-site.

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Monday, June 22

The week kicked off with a major announcement: this fall, Spotify and Coach will launch a global partnership entirely rooted in music.

We broke the news live during our first Spotify Beach session of the year, Building What Money Can’t Buy: New Rules of Brand Loyalty. The conversation, featuring Coach CMO Joon Silverstein, Spotify’s Global Head of Business Marketing Bridget Evans, artist Troye Sivan, and Willa Bennett, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen, explored the cultural intersection of fashion, music, and identity.

Our first night wrapped at Club Côte, Spotify’s seventh annual soirée, featuring a performance from rising star Sienna Spiro. Guests included Seth Meyers, musical duo Sofi Tukker, actor and singer Joshua Bassett, and TV stars Antoni Porowski, Maura Higgins, and Meredith Marks.

Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström and Xavier 'X' Jernigan—better known as DJ X.

Sienna Spiro onstage.

Troye Sivan, Spotify Global Head of Business Marketing Bridget Evans, Coach CMO Joon Silverstein, and Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Editor-in-Chief Willa Bennett talking brand loyalty.

Tuesday, June 23

On day two, podcast host Jay Shetty, actress Keke Palmer, and Spotify’s Head of Content Partnerships Jordan Newman sat down to explore the ways meaningful dialogue shapes culture, creativity, identity, and purpose. During the session, Keke spoke about the importance of staying grounded as she navigates her career.

Check out some highlights from Keke and Jay’s conversation.

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Later that day, artist Anderson .Paak joined Spotify’s Co-CEO Alex Norström for a conversation about his global success—his music streams in all of Spotify’s 184 markets—and moving beyond music to write, direct, and star in his film K-Pops!

That evening, Spotify Beach lit up with a lineup that had something for everyone.

Mike D opened the show with hits “What We Got” and Beastie Boys’ “So What’Cha Want.”

Central Cee kept energy high with performances of “Doja,” “BAND4BAND (feat. LilBaby),””WAGWAN,” and “Sprinter.”

And RAYE closed out the night with hits like “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!,” “Worth It,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Escapism.” The set also included the second-ever live performance of “Happier Times Ahead.” from her new album, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.

Spotify's Global Head of Content Partnerships Jordan Newman and Jay Shetty chat live from the beach.

Raye brought the house down.

Keke Palmer

Central Cee

Wednesday, June 24

The cultural power of fandom was the topic du jour (pardon our French) on our final day at Spotify Beach.

Our roundtable session brought together artists John Summit and EJAE, LinkedIn Chief Brand Officer Heather Freeland, Gap Global CMO Faby Torres, Spotify’s Head of Creative Lab Kay Hsu, and Spotify’s Head of Artist Partnerships Ashley Graver for a conversation about how brands can tap into culture to create lasting connections and turn audiences into loyal communities. Panelists highlighted recent Spotify campaigns that brought these ideas to life, including LinkedIn’s surprise rave with John to celebrate the release of his latest album, CTRL Escape—which he revealed was inspired by his former career as a CPA—and Gap’s “Curated by” playlists with global hitmakers like KATSEYE and Tyla.

EJAE also shared the story behind creating the official anthem for football’s biggest tournament, the passionate KPop Demon Hunters fandom, and how she connects with fans around the world.

After the talk, we caught up with EJAE to hear more about the songs that made her.

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As the sun set, guests gathered for one last Spotify Beach 2026 performance.

Lykke Li got the party started with “Lucky Again,” “I Follow Rivers,” and “Little Bit.”

Mumford & Sons kept the energy high, playing hits like “Little Lion Man,” “The Cave,” and “I Will Wait.” Frontman Marcus Mumford even left the stage to join the crowd during “Ditmas.”

John Summit followed with fan favorites including “What A Life.” The set turned into one of the night’s most talked-about moments when he brought out Julia Wolf to perform their song “WITH ME.”