Inside The Afties: Cannes’ Ultimate Gathering of Culture, Sports, and Influence Returns for Year 3

Hosted by Boardroom’s Taylor Rooks, The Afties returned to Cannes for its third year, bringing together 400-plus leaders across sports, entertainment, business, media, and culture for a night defined by connection, creativity, and community.

The biggest conversations at Cannes don’t always happen inside conference halls. For one night, they happen at The Afties.

Now in its third year, The Afties returned to Cannes this week, bringing together more than 400 leaders from sports, entertainment, media, technology, and business for what has quickly become one of the most sought-after invitations of the annual Cannes Lions festival. Created by TJ Adeshola in partnership with Legacy EM, The Afties has evolved from a networking gathering into a cultural institution during Cannes week, a space where athletes, creators, executives, entrepreneurs, artists, and storytellers come together under one roof.

Hosted by Boardroom’s Taylor Rooks, this year’s event marked the largest edition yet, taking over Bisou Bisou at Le Majestic Cannes and further cementing its place as one of the defining cultural touchpoints of the week.

“What started as a simple idea to bring good people together has become one of the defining highlights of the week,” Adeshola said. “Seeing leaders, creators, athletes, and executives from across sports, entertainment, media, and business connect in one room is a reminder that community still matters.”

That sense of community has become the event’s calling card. While Cannes remains the global epicenter for advertising, media, and brand marketing each June, The Afties has carved out a unique lane by bringing together many of the people who increasingly sit at the center of modern culture. In an era where athletes are founders, creators are executives, and entertainers are building billion-dollar businesses, the lines between industries continue to blur.

The guest list reflected that convergence. Among those in attendance were Ciara, Russell Wilson, Alex Rodriguez, Fat Joe, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Janelle Monáe, Miguel, Jayson Tatum, Sue Bird, Andra Day, Draymond Green, Alexis Ohanian, Jaylen Brown, Bozoma Saint John, John Summit, Diana Taurasi, Ashlyn Harris, Hilary Knight, Al Harrington, Kayla Nicole, Nigel Sylvester, Gary Harris, Ryan Rollins, and dozens of other influential voices spanning sports, entertainment, business, and media.

The event stretched well into the early morning, fueled by sets from Jae Murphy, DJ Millie, DJ Tay James, Charles Beloved, Chris Lyons, and Nitrane. Presented by Amazon Music alongside partners Kalshi, Sprite, Patrón, and Think-True, the evening blended entertainment, networking, and cultural conversation in a way that has become synonymous with The Afties.

The growth of the event mirrors a broader shift happening across the business of sports and culture. Increasingly, the most impactful conversations happen at the intersection of industries rather than within them. Athletes are becoming investors. Creators are becoming media companies. Executives are becoming cultural tastemakers.

Events like The Afties provide a rare environment where those worlds can collide organically.

As Cannes continues to evolve beyond its advertising roots, The Afties has become something larger than an afterparty. It is a reflection of where influence lives today: at the crossroads of sports, entertainment, business, technology, and culture.

For one night on the French Riviera, all of those worlds shared the same room.