An annual international AI conference at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes bringing together enterprise AI executives, policymakers, AI researchers, and innovators across four tracks: AI for Business, AI Governance, the Next AI Tech, and Health AI, alongside an awards programme and innovation showcases.
World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF) is an annual international AI event held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, operated by Informa through The AI Summit Series. Running since 2022, it has grown to one of Europe's largest AI events by attendance, drawing enterprise executives, policymakers, AI researchers, startups, and media from across the world. The February timing connects it to the broader EMEA conference calendar at the start of the year.
Cannes in February is between the winter film market (MIPTV is in April) and the summer season, giving the festival a clear calendar window with no major conflicts. The Palais des Festivals is one of Europe's most iconic event venues, lending the summit a prestige context. The multi-track format allows simultaneous sessions for executive, technical, governance, and health audiences without dispersal across multiple sites.
Four dedicated tracks run across the two days:
Innovation demos, startup pitches, and an awards programme complement the main conference tracks.
The main conference tracks run in parallel across the Palais des Festivals halls. Additional formats include: startup pitch zones, demo showcases with live AI demonstrations, immersive workshops, and an AI awards ceremony. An exhibition floor runs alongside the conference.
The 2026 edition featured:
The 2027 speaker lineup is forthcoming. The event targets "100 most inspiring industry-defining leaders and tech innovators."
The festival launched in 2022 and has expanded rapidly:
| Edition | Year | Exhibitors | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th WAICF | 2026 | 220 | 320 |
| 5th WAICF | 2027 | TBC | TBC |
Enterprise AI is the primary lens, but the governance and tech tracks include policy and research content. The Health AI Summit track makes it relevant for healthcare professionals. The Cannes location and festival branding give it a broader cultural and creative dimension compared to pure enterprise tech events.
Informa PLC operates the event through The AI Summit Series, a global portfolio of enterprise AI conferences running in London, New York, San Francisco, and Cannes. Informa acquired and rebranded the original WAICF concept to integrate it into its global AI event series.
Yes. An exhibition floor with 220+ exhibitors (2026 figure) runs alongside the conference, featuring AI platform vendors, cloud providers, and specialist technology companies.
The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès sits on the Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes. The venue is best known as the home of the Cannes Film Festival and hosts the major MIPIM, MIPCOM, and Lions festivals throughout the year. Its multiple halls, exhibition floors, and auditoriums accommodate large parallel-track conferences. Cannes is served by Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (30 minutes), with direct flights from major European hubs.
Informa PLC is one of the world's largest business intelligence and events companies. Its AI Summit Series is a global portfolio of enterprise AI conferences that serves the same professional audience across different geographic markets: London (the flagship), New York, San Francisco, and Cannes. The series shares a speaker network, content methodology, and enterprise sponsor community across editions.
World AI Cannes Festival is the EMEA AI calendar's opening marquee event for enterprise teams, combining a prestigious venue, large-scale attendance, and a multi-track programme that makes February Cannes a relevant early-year destination for AI executives who cannot wait for the autumn circuit.
Register interest at reg.theaisummit.com/register-your-interest-waicf. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; enterprise conference pricing is typical of The AI Summit Series. Contact Informa for delegate fee information and group packages.
B2B networking is central to the format. The scale of the event (12,000 attendees in 2026) and the expo floor create an extensive business development context. The awards ceremony provides an additional networking event within the festival.
The AI Awards recognise organisations and individuals making significant advances in enterprise AI adoption and governance. Award categories cover responsible AI deployment, innovation, and AI for social impact.
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) is the main international gateway, 30-40 minutes from Cannes by train or taxi. Direct flights operate from London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and other European hubs. Cannes is on the French Riviera rail line (TGV connections via Marseille).
No virtual attendance options have been confirmed for 2027. The event is positioned as an in-person networking event.
Programme announcements typically begin 6-8 months before the event. Monitor theaisummit.com and @theaisummitseries on social media.
| Official website | https://london.theaisummit.com/world-ai-cannes-festival/ |
| Register interest | https://reg.theaisummit.com/register-your-interest-waicf |
| https://www.instagram.com/theaisummitseries/ |