Inside The Steak ‘n Shake Swayable House At Cannes Lions

The Cannes Lions hotspot transformed from a thought-leader mecca by day to the French Riviera’s best hangout by night.

For the entirety of the International Festival of Creativity, the Swayable House at Steak ‘n Shake on the Croisette was the talk of Cannes. By day, the space ran wall-to-wall thought leadership—brand heads and cultural voices unpacked the state and future of commerce and creativity. Real conversations, no filler.

By night, it became the coolest hangout in the South of France. Portrait Media Group hosted World Cup Watch Parties Monday through Wednesday. Entertainer extraordinaire JB Smoove held court on Tuesday like only he could, and on Wednesday, Maxim took over the watch party, featuring sonic mixes by MICK—the culture strategist who served as the unofficial DJ of Cannes. Refreshing drinks, delicious bites, big screens, and elite company harmonized into a special energy that can’t be manufactured.

As Wednesday night turned to Thursday morning, the Maxim After Hours Party—with Portrait Media Group, Steak ‘n Shake, SOLÉ Natural Italian Mineral Water, and Swayable—transformed into the Amapiano Afrobeat French Riviera Experience. DJ Mercedes Benson held down the decks, and hospitality maestro Unik Ernest curated the night. They came for the Lions—they left when the sun came up.