Scheduled to take place on 20, 21 and 22 May 2026 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, Goafest 2026 festival will centre conversations around reinvention, with a strong focus on how brands, agencies and platforms must reimagine, refine, and rebuild in an increasingly complex technology-driven ecosystem.
Having secured strong interest from leading industry voices and sponsors, Goafest is now gearing up to welcome a truly Pan-India delegation, which includes a robust turnout from tier-II and III markets.
Leading the delegate registrations are brands and clients, independent agencies and young talent from across the industry. Participation from creative and media agencies, production houses, technology platforms, publishers, and broadcasters, etc. reinforces Goafest as the industry’s leading platform for dialogue, networking, and collaboration.
Goafest 2026 will bring together 60+ industry voices for 20+ knowledge sessions and nearly 15 immersive masterclasses across three days under a single roof. Conversations will dive deep into the ideas reshaping advertising, media, marketing and creativity today.
Sessions at Goafest will tackle topics around the rise of AI influencers, the future of data ownership, impact of evolving consumer behaviour, changing media habits, and new pathways for business growth. All conversations are designed to challenge traditional perspectives and spark fresh thinking.
Srinivasan K Swamy, executive group chairman of RK Swamy and President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India, said, “The strong delegate participation this year reflects the diverse value Goafest offers to the industry. Whether it is knowledge sessions, masterclasses, awards, or new-age IPs like Advertising Rocks, Advertising Plays or simply networking, Goafest simply delivers on these expectations. We remain committed to ensuring that every person who is a part of Goafest finds meaningful value and that the festival continues to serve its purpose of innovating for our clients and contributing to their growth.”
The three-day festival will reflect the theme through a series of sessions that will tackle key industry shifts like the impact and influence of artificial intelligence, dilemmas around data ownership, evolving media consumption, the emergence of new media platforms, the greater need for measurement, and the role of creativity in powering business growth. With 60 speakers across 20 sessions, Goafest 2026 ensures a thorough representation of key voices from across the advertising, media, marketing, technology, and business ecosystem.
Some of the most significant leaders expected to take the Goafest 2026 stage are Prasar Bharati’s chairperson, Padma Prasoon Joshi (Omnicom Advertising India), NITI Aayog’s former vice-chairman, Dr Rajiv Kumar, Santosh Desai (Think9 Consumer Technologies), advertising veteran Eugene Cheong (Euge Publishing), and Bollywood legend Rakesh Bedi.
Besides advertising and media industry leaders, this year Goafest will have a wider representation from the client ecosystem and brand custodians including Nikhil Sharma (Perfetti Van Melle, India), Aman Gupta (boAt), Rohit Kapoor (Swiggy), Chandan Mendiratta (Zepto), Veetika Deoras (IHCL), Tuhina Pandey (IBM), Tarun Bhagat (PepsiCo) Riya Joseph (Britannia Industries), Harsh Deep Chhabra (Godrej Consumer Products), Darshana Shah (Aditya Birla Capital), Prasun Kumar (MagicBricks), Punit Dharamsi (Association of Mutual Funds in India) Rajiv Dubey (Dabur India), Shubhranshu Singh (Marketing Leader & Ex CMO), Arpan Biswas (Ajio), Ajay Kakar (Adani) and Jahid Ahmed (HDFC Bank) among many more.
Leading the technology-led conversations are Satya Raghavan (Google India), Haran Ramachandran (Spotify), Neha Markanda (ShareChat). Ensuring entertainment is not amiss, Prince of Bhangra, Sukhbir Singh and Singer Neeti Mohan will also take the prestigious Goafest stage.
Bringing diverse themes into focus, Goafest will also witness sports personalities like the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, Harmanpreet Kaur, entrepreneur and sports leader, Preeti Jhangiani; Parvinn Dabass (Pro Panja League), former Indian National Football Team captain and goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan, Indian Kabaddi Player Rahul Chaudhari, Sameer Pathak, (Pickleball World Rankings) and actor, anchor, author and fitness enthusiast, Mandira Bedi.
Mohit Joshi, Co-Chair of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee and CEO, Havas Media Network India said, “We are witnessing a shift in consumer behaviour, new technology adoption and a lot more in India and world over. As the industry evolves, growth can only come from embracing fresh perspectives, cross-industry collaboration, and conversations that may seem tough in boardrooms. The breadth of perspectives through our speakers across all stages will surely mirror our industry’s dynamics while looking for opportunities that unlock growth.”
“The agenda this year reflects the urgent realities of our industry. ‘Reset for Growth’ isn’t just a theme; it is a call to action - one that has sparked stronger client participation than ever before. Over the three days, we will hear from voices across the entire ecosystem - from AI and data to storytelling and brand-building. GoaFest 2026 will not just be a platform for celebration, but also for meaningful dialogue, collaboration and future-shaping ideas.” added Rohit Ohri, founder, Ohriginal & Member, GoaFest Advisory Committee.