Lisbon, May 6th 2026 – The Lisbon Festivals are proud to announce that Gabriel Schmitt, Global Chief Creative Officer at GREY, has been appointed Jury President for the 11th edition of the Lisbon International Advertising Festival.
Returning to the Portuguese capital from June 9 to June 12, 2026, the Lisbon Ad Festival will bring together some of the world’s most respected creative and marketing leaders to celebrate the ideas, brands and work shaping the future of the industry.
In a first for the Lisbon Ad Festival, and a rare model in the awards world, creative leaders and brand leaders will be joining forces to recognise ideas that are not only brilliantly crafted, but meaningful, effective and built to last. This mixed-jury approach reflects the festival’s belief that the future of creativity depends on a closer dialogue between those who make the work and those who build the brands behind it.
Known for recognising creative excellence with international reach and cultural relevance, the festival continues to evolve its ambition: to celebrate work that does not simply capture attention, but creates lasting value. For 2026, the Lisbon Ad Festival will invite its juries to look at creativity through the unique rhythm and spirit of the city itself: its craft, its movement, and its relationship with time.
At the helm of this year’s juries, Schmitt will guide the selection of this year’s most outstanding work, helping to identify ideas that are not only bold and effective, but crafted with care, intention and endurance.
“It’s in the artistry of the tiles, in the slow pouring of ginjinha, in the vivid conversations between neighbors. Lisbon moves with intention: present, observant, and deeply felt. There is something to learn in that rhythm. To take things in and to value what’s made with care. May we be inspired by the spirit of this city to celebrate brands and ideas that are as crafted, intentional, and timeless,” said Gabriel Schmitt, Global Chief Creative Officer at GREY and Jury President of Lisbon Ad Festival 2026.
A culture-shaping creative leader with two decades of agency leadership across New York, Chicago and São Paulo, Schmitt has helped lead some of the industry’s most celebrated work. His teams have been recognised across the world’s most prestigious creative and effectiveness awards, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, Effies and the Emmys.
“Gabriel is exactly the creative leader we wanted for this edition: global in perspective, deeply human in his judgment, and uncompromising in his belief in craft that builds brands,” said Ana Firmo Ferreira, President of Lisbon Festivals. “For 2026, our ambition is to celebrate work that
does more than respond to the moment. We want to recognise ideas with Slow Brand Value: ideas that travel, endure and continue to matter. By bringing creative and brand leaders together in the same jury room, we are also making a clear statement about the kind of industry conversation we believe in: one where creativity and business are not judged separately, but understood as inseparable forces.”
More than a festival, Lisbon International Advertising Festival is a meeting point for the people and ideas shaping the creative industry. Set against a city known for its light, history, openness and deliberate pace, the 2026 edition will celebrate creativity that moves with purpose, work built to be seen, felt and remembered.
