VidCon to Depart Anaheim as It Merges with Cannes Lions Parent Company
VidCon, the long-running convention for digital creators and their audiences, will relocate from its Southern California home after 16 years. The event is being combined with LIONS, the organization behind the Cannes Lions marketing festival, under owner Informa PLC. The new venture will be called VidCon x LIONS Creators.
The merger consolidates two Informa-owned properties under a single banner, with VidCon's Anaheim gathering being folded into a broader North American creator-focused event series. The move ends a sixteen-year tenure for the convention in Southern California, where it had become a primary meeting point for online video personalities and their fan communities.
LIONS, best known for its annual Cannes marketing festival, brings industry-facing expertise to the partnership, while VidCon contributes its direct-to-audience creator culture. The combined operation signals a tightening link between grassroots digital entertainment and the commercial marketing sector, as both organizations operate under Informa's international events umbrella.
The relocation and merger could reshape how digital creators connect with audiences and brands. Fans who built traditions around the Anaheim event may find the new format more commercially oriented, potentially altering the convention's community feel. Creators could gain stronger pathways to marketing partnerships through LIONS' industry connections, though smaller independent voices may face a more corporate environment. The move reflects broader consolidation in the creator economy.