Immersive Competition
Cannes Festival 2026
developing a large-scale immersive model
From 12 to 23 May 2026, the Carlton Hotel hosted the third edition of the Immersive Competition, as part of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Élie Levasseur, the Immersive Competition introduced a new exhibition format: a single 450 sqm immersive space, designed to accommodate up to 200 spectators simultaneously. As the technical partner of the Immersive Competition since 2024, Diversion was in charge for the operational design, VR technical deployment and day-to-day operations of this unprecedented large-scale immersive.
Rethinking Immersive Exhibition Formats
For several years, immersive works (VR, AR, XR, projection, video mapping, etc.) have largely been showcased according to a model inherited from museum exhibitions: dedicated spaces for each work, accommodating a limited number of visitors at a time. While this format encourages individual discovery, it limits audience capacity and leaves little room for a truly collective experience.
The Immersive Competition presents a new approach: bringing all the works together in a single immersive space, where they are presented as part of a continuous programme, offering audiences collective immersive sessions. Drawing inspiration from cinema and live performance, this large-scale format can accommodate up to 200 spectators simultaneously, where sharing the experience altogether is at the heart of the concept.
One Space, Multiple Technologies
For the third edition of the Immersive Competition, the programme features 9 works in competition:
- 6 virtual reality experiences (360°, free-roaming)
- 2 video installations
- 1 immersive AI installation
The works are presented in a programme that runs continuously, with just a few minutes between sessions to reconfigure the space and equipment for each new experience.
A Large-Scale Technical Challenge
This large-scale model is built around:
- 450 sqm of immersive space
- 9 works in competition
- 1 continuous programme
- 200 spectators simultaneously
- 5 different immersive technologies
The expertise behind the project
Delivering this setup required close collaboration between experts in virtual reality, projection, production, sound, lighting, scenography, operations and venue management. Working together over several months in advance, the teams anticipated the human, technical, equipment and operational requirements of the project.
The collaboration brought together:
- DIVERSION: Operations Management and VR Technical Operations
- WIP PRODUCTIONS (Julien Gobeaux): Production Management and Technical Direction
- UNIVRSE / XROAM (Raphaël Haddad): Tracking systems for free-roaming experiences
- ARTCOM DIFFUSION: Video
- 4J ÉVÉNEMENTS: Sound
Our role
As the technical partner of the Immersive Competition for three consecutive editions (2024–2026), Diversion has overseen the technical preparation and operation of seven of the nine works in competition, including:
- Deploying and operating more than 350 VR headsets (Meta, Pico, Vive Focus)
- Managing configurations and transitions between VR, free-roaming and projection experiemces.
- Implementing and managing network infrastructure.
- Overseeing the day-to-day operations of sessions throughout the festival.
- Training the on-site staff.
From initial concept to operational delivery, Diversion helped bring different immersive technologies together within a single space, while quadrupling audience capacity.
Towards new models of Immersive exhibition
Initiated by the Cannes Film Festival and the Immersive Competition, who entrusted Diversion with the implementation and deployment of this unprecedented immersive large-scale format, the project opens up new possibilities for festivals, cultural institutions and exhibition venues looking to welcome larger audiences while preserving the quality of immersive works individually.
