Mumbai: Setting the stage for one of the most promising editions of South Asia’s premier advertising, media and marketing festival, Goafest 2026 has unveiled a stellar line-up of speakers, industry visionaries and entertainment personalities who will collectively champion discussions and conversations around the 19th edition’s theme, ‘Reset for Growth’.
The three-day festival will reflect the theme through a series of sessions that will tackle key industry shifts such as the impact and influence of artificial intelligence, dilemmas around data ownership, evolving media consumption, the emergence of new media platforms, the growing need for measurement, and the role of creativity in powering business growth. With 60 speakers across 20 sessions, Goafest 2026 promises a comprehensive representation of voices from across the advertising, media, marketing, technology and business ecosystem.
Among the prominent leaders expected to take the Goafest 2026 stage are Prasar Bharati Chairperson and Padma Shri awardee Prasoon Joshi, former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar, consumer insights expert Santosh Desai, advertising veteran Eugene Cheong, and Bollywood actor Rakesh Bedi.
Expanding beyond advertising and media, this year’s edition will also witness wider participation from brand custodians and client-side leaders, including Aman Gupta, Rohit Kapoor, Chandan Mendiratta, Tuhina Pandey, Tarun Bhagat, Shubhranshu Singh and several others from leading Indian and global brands.
Technology-led discussions at the festival will feature leaders such as Satya Raghavan, Haran Ramachandran and Neha Markanda. Adding an entertainment quotient to the festival, Punjabi music icon Sukhbir Singh and playback singer Neeti Mohan are also expected to perform and engage audiences at the event.
Goafest 2026 will additionally spotlight conversations around sports, leadership and wellness with personalities including Indian Women’s Cricket Team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, entrepreneur and sports advocate Preeti Jhangiani, Pro Panja League co-founder Parvinn Dabass, former Indian football team captain Aditi Chauhan, kabaddi player Rahul Chaudhari, pickleball player Sameer Pathak and actor-author 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.
Scheduled to take place from May 20 to 22, 2026 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, Goafest 2026 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.
