Spikes Asia ends after 39 years as Cannes Lions launches LIONS Asia

A 40-year-old fixture goes

Spikes Asia, the regional creative festival that has run in Singapore every March for close to four decades, will not return in its current form. On 17 September 2026, LIONS announced that Spikes Asia would evolve into LIONS Asia, with the first Festival of Creativity and Asia Lions Awards taking place in Singapore in September 2027.^[1] The location stays the same; the month does not.

The announcement came one day after LIONS released details of a broader restructure across its global model, introducing regional platforms across North America, APAC and MENA at the same time.^[2] Spikes Asia becoming LIONS Asia sits inside a deliberate push to extend the Cannes Lions brand across the calendar year, rather than concentrating everything in one June week on the French Riviera.

Inside LIONS Asia

The LIONS Asia Festival of Creativity will bring together the LIONS brands WARC, Effie and Contagious alongside world-class content, executive forums and peer-to-peer learning, convening marketers, creatives, agencies, technology innovators, platforms, entertainment companies and business leaders.^[1] That is a wider programme than Spikes Asia ran, and the breadth is intentional.

Melanie Speet, Director of LIONS Asia, said the design came directly from what the industry told them. "Throughout our conversations with the industry, it became clear that people are looking for more than inspiration. They want practical insights, meaningful connections and evidence of what drives growth. LIONS Asia has been designed to deliver that, bringing together world-class learning, global expertise and the region's most influential leaders to help organisations navigate an increasingly complex business landscape," Speet said.^[1]

Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said the region's growing weight justified the investment. "Asia-Pacific is one of the most innovative, dynamic and influential regions in the world, and its importance to the global creative marketing agenda continues to grow. LIONS Asia represents a renewed vision for the future of creativity and marketing effectiveness in the region, one that connects local talent and ideas at the forefront of creativity to the world, while giving regional communities access to the evidence, inspiration and networks needed to accelerate growth and impact," Cook said.^[1]

Haymarket Asia, publisher of Campaign Asia-Pacific, stays on as co-organiser, the same partnership that ran Spikes Asia.^[4] Atifa Silk, Managing Director of Haymarket Asia, said the history of what is ending was worth acknowledging. "For nearly 40 years, Spikes Asia has shone a spotlight on the incredible talent, creativity and innovation that define this region. LIONS Asia builds on everything that has made Spikes Asia special while creating even greater opportunities for the community to learn, connect and be recognised, a platform that reflects the ambition, energy and growing global influence of Asia-Pacific," Silk said.^[1]

The calendar problem for Australian agencies

The practical consequence for Australian agencies is immediate and specific. Spikes Asia entries have traditionally been planned and budgeted in the first quarter, with the March festival anchoring the regional creative calendar. The shift to a September festival pushes that planning window into the third quarter, reshuffling when entry fees, travel budgets and creative production costs are committed.^[1]

That timing lands differently depending on how an agency structures its financial year. For those on a calendar-year budget cycle, September entries sit against a very different spend profile than March ones did. Cannes Lions runs in June, so agencies running lean on regional awards budgets will face three significant entry windows within roughly four months: Cannes in June, then LIONS Asia in September.

The inclusion of WARC and Effie programming alongside the creative awards could change how agencies pitch participation internally. An effectiveness track gives finance and client-service teams a clearer reason to attend, which may broaden who signs off on the budget. The Asia Lions Awards will recognise ideas, brands and talent shaping the future of marketing and communications across Asia-Pacific.^[1] The first event in Singapore is September 2027.