WHERE SPACE MEETS CULTURE
PVBLIC Foundation and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026
For the first time, the global space conversation comes to Cannes.
This year, PVBLIC Foundation arrives in formal partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with a shared mission: to bring the space governance conversation into the rooms where culture, commerce, and creativity converge.
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Mandate: The only UN entity dedicated exclusively to outer space.
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Governance: Frameworks ensuring space benefits all countries equitably.
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Partnership: MOU signed at UNGA 80, September 2025.
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Diplomacy: Trusted by 132+ governments and global multilaterals.
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Reach: Programs reaching 1B+ people across 125 countries.
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Mission: Translating complex global challenges into platforms for change.
Every time you check the weather, navigate to a meeting, or see a brand claim its supply chain is deforestation-free, something invisible is doing the work. Not an app. Not a server farm. A satellite.
This is not a space problem. It is a storytelling problem.
WHY CANNES, WHY NOW
The room where culture gets its instructions.
Where culture is decided.
Space governance needs storytellers.
The creative industry is the missing piece.
The brands, agencies, and cultural leaders who gather at Cannes every year shape what enters mainstream consciousness, and what does not.
The decisions shaping who gets to use space, who owns its data, and who benefits from the space economy are being made now, without the creative industry.
If space governance becomes relevant to brand leaders, it becomes relevant to boardrooms. If it becomes relevant to boardrooms, it becomes relevant to policy.
What is at stake
Space technologies already contribute directly to more than 40% of the Sustainable Development Goals, yet the systems that make this possible remain largely invisible to most people.
Satellite numbers could rise from roughly 15,000 to as many as 100,000 by 2030, intensifying risks around debris, traffic, and equitable access to space.
An estimated 130 million pieces of debris orbit above the infrastructure the global economy runs on. The rules governing who is responsible are being written right now.
The data already exists, open and available. Satellite data is already monitoring crops in Kenya, tracking deforestation in the Amazon, and predicting where the next flood will hit. The barrier has never been technology. It has been understanding.
Visibility is the missing link between space as a technical domain and a shared responsibility. PVBLIC Foundation and UNOOSA are at Cannes Lions to close that gap, bringing the space governance conversation directly to the industry that shapes what the world pays attention to.
PVBLIC AT CANNES:
THE EVENTS
OFFICIAL CANNES LIONS SESSION
Tuesday, 23 June 2026 | 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM CEST | De Bussey Stage, Palais des Festivals, Cannes
SPACE ISN’T THE FUTURE — IT’S YOUR BRIEF
Space already powers the systems brands depend on, from satellite navigation and weather forecasting to Earth observation data used to verify supply chain and sustainability claims. Yet the creative industry has largely overlooked its potential. The issue has never been access. It has been understanding. This official Cannes Lions session brings together Professor Brian Cox, particle physicist and the first-ever UN Champion for Space; Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of UNOOSA; and Dr. Sian Proctor, astronaut, artist, and the first woman to pilot a commercial spacecraft. Together, they will make the case that space is no longer just a theme or metaphor. It is an essential part of the creative brief.
Featuring: Professor Brian Cox | Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of UNOOSA | Dr. Sian Proctor, Astronaut and Artist
Tuesday, 23 June 2026 | 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM CEST | COLLINS House
THE CREATIVE ORBIT: WHY SPACE IS RESHAPING STORYTELLING, CULTURE, AND BRAND IMAGINATION
Space is no longer a distant scientific frontier. It is becoming one of the most influential lenses through which humanity understands Earth, identity, resilience, and the future, shaping how brands tell stories and how culture imagines what comes next. This conversation brings together Professor Brian Cox, particle physicist and the first ever UN Champion for Space; Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of UNOOSA; and Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Executive Chairman of PVBLIC Foundation. Together, they explore why the next era of culture and communication may be shaped as much by perspective from orbit as by innovation on the ground.
Featuring: Professor Brian Cox | Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of UNOOSA | Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Executive Chairman, PVBLIC Foundation
Wednesday, 24 June 2026 | 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM CEST | Little Black Book Beach, The Croisette, Cannes
EARTH, SEEN FROM SPACE: THE STORY WE’RE STILL NOT TELLING
The most powerful image in human history may still be Earth seen from space. Once accessible only to astronauts through the Overview Effect, that perspective now helps humanity see Earth's living systems at scale. This session, brought by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), explores how the view from orbit can transform how we communicate about nature, resilience, and the future of life on Earth.
Moderated by Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Executive Chairman, PVBLIC Foundation | Aarti Holla-Maini, Director, UNOOSA | Dr. Sian Proctor, Astronaut and Artist
PRIVATE EVENT
Monday, 22 June 2026 | 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM CEST
AN EVENING WITH UNOOSA AT CANNES LIONS & ONE 100 ANNOUNCE
PVBLIC Foundation, together with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and The Marketing Academy, hosts an exclusive evening on the sidelines of Cannes Lions 2026. A select group of leaders will gather for an intimate conversation on how space is reshaping innovation and opening new competitive frontiers, featuring renowned physicist Professor Brian Cox and Dr. Sian Proctor, trailblazing scientist and the first female commercial spaceship pilot. The evening offers a more personal, conversational counterpart to the Festival's main-stage sessions, bringing together a curated group for meaningful dialogue, connection, and inspiration. PVBLIC also unveils ONE 100, an initiative convening 100 organizations to shape how AI is applied in public-interest media.
GO DEEPER
For the full narrative behind PVBLIC and UNOOSA's presence at Cannes Lions 2026, read our thought piece: The Infrastructure Nobody Talks About.
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To learn more about UNOOSA and its mandate, visit unoosa.org.
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To learn more about PVBLIC Foundation and its programs, visit pvblic.org.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Space is not an aspirational framing. It is the infrastructure the global economy already runs on, and the rules governing who benefits from it are being written right now. Cannes Lions 2026 is the moment the creative industry enters that conversation.Whether you are attending the #CannesLions Festival or would like to stay informed about our work and upcoming opportunities, we invite you to complete our Expression of Interest form.
Media inquiries: media@pvblic.org | All other inquiries: events@pvblic.org