This year, Young Lions Croatia enters its jubilee tenth edition, and young professionals under the age of 30 will have the opportunity to present their ideas on the global Cannes Young Lions stage during the competition taking place on 21 and 22 February 2026 in Zagreb. The quality of submitted work across all competition categories will once again be evaluated by a jury composed of experienced professionals from different segments of the communications industry.
The president of this year’s jury is Marko Šesnić (Šesnić&Turković), joined by Ružica Ilak (Pragma komunikacije), Krešimir Macan (Manjgura), Mario Frančešević (SeekandHit), Marko Jambrešić (dentsu), Ivo Payer (Publicis), Irena Šarić Dombaj (L’Oreal), Vanja Prahić (Croatia osiguranje), Ljiljana Ivošević (OMD) and Hrvoje Pilić (Ahelon). The jury will also include a secret member, a client representative, whom the competitors will meet at the start of the competition.
The Young Lions Croatia competition retains its recognizable format of an intensive creative challenge: teams of two have 24 hours to develop a solution for a real client. During the competition, participants are isolated from the outside world and accommodated at the Zagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER), where they work under controlled conditions that place the emphasis exclusively on idea, strategy and execution. Additional support is provided by Shutterstock, through access to its database of visual and creative content. The competition is open to young professionals under the age of 30, who can apply in one of six categories: Design powered by Igepa Plana, Digital, Marketers, Media, Print and PR.
YOUNG LIONS: THE HUNT BEGINS
The hunt officially begins on 5 February at Botaničar with the event The Hunt Begins, where future competitors will learn how to navigate the 24-hour creative challenge, what the jury is actually looking for, and what the Young Lions experience in Cannes looks like. Attendance must be confirmed by 2 February at [email protected].
If you are ready for a challenge that can turn your career around and bring you an unforgettable experience, apply with your creative partner by 13 February 2026. Details can be found on the pages of Dani komunikacija.
