On January 9, 2026, the Palais des Festivals will host the first edition of the Festival International des Lys d’Or, dedicated to coaching, well-being, and human transformation. Conferences, testimonials, artistic performances, and award ceremonies will punctuate this evening conceived as a space of recognition and transmission.
The Palais des Festivals will host, on Friday, January 9, 2026, the first edition of the Festival International des Lys d’Or – Coach Transformation Awards. The event will highlight practices of support, coaching, and well-being. The evening will gather a broad audience from different backgrounds. The program will combine conferences, testimonials, artistic interventions, and the awarding of trophies. The founder, Nora Simon, aims to create a space of recognition for those involved in human transformation. “The Festival International des Lys d’Or was born out of a conviction: to honor those who radiate creative excellence. Cannes naturally imposed itself as a showcase. Beyond distinctions, we want to create encounters, transmissions, and shared emotions.”
The event is part of an approach focused on mental health, resilience, and personal transformation. The project is based on a simple idea: providing a stage for practices that are often not very visible, but present in many paths of reconstruction. The Palais des Festivals will become, for one evening, a space dedicated to life stories, support approaches, and committed initiatives.
The red-carpet walk will have a symbolic dimension. People who have gone through trials and the professionals who supported them will walk together towards the hall. This gesture will mark the opening of an event designed as a moment of collective recognition. The festival presents itself as a place for dialogue around mental health, resilience, and support approaches.
A rich and varied program
The evening will begin with a prestigious welcome. Guests, finalists, juries, artists, and partners will be received in an immersive atmosphere. Tutu Prestige hostesses will be present. Their participation will highlight a message related to body acceptance and physical transformations. An opening ceremony will follow, infused with spiritual and musical dimensions. Isabella Vieira, a shaman, will open the evening. The Southern Choir will accompany this initial moment.
The founding conference will be delivered by Nora Simon. This speech will be based on her book in the process of printing, Run, Nora, Run. The presentation will address traumas, survival, reconstruction, healing, and resilience from a feminine perspective. This speech will set the tone for the evening and introduce the scheduled testimonials.
The conference cycle will bring together several speakers. Paul Fontaine will share a journey marked by cystic fibrosis. Jean-Baptiste will discuss a life path built around sports and a Paralympic commitment. Madonna will recount the recovery of a buried memory after traumatic amnesia. Other stories will be presented, focusing on rebirth and transformation.
Artistic interludes will punctuate the evening. Singers, stage artists, and performers will accompany the testimonials. The artistic coordination will be handled by Diamant School. A musical moment will be offered by Grégory Bacchion, featuring an interpretation inspired by great composers and a collaboration around Charles Aznavour.
The official ceremony of the Coach Transformation Awards will constitute a central moment. The finalists will be presented. The juries will be highlighted. The Transformation Award will be handed out. Alicia Fall, a presenter and TV host, will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies. Angela De Nova will be the patron of the evening.
The festival will also present several awards divided into seven categories: health and vitality, emotional transformation, resilience and trauma, conscious leadership, parenting and education, awakening and humanism, and self-driven excellence. An Honorary Award, the Lys d’Or of Feminine Courage, will distinguish a woman whose journey reflects a major challenge and an inspiring action. “This award does not honor victory but the light of those who have risen again.”
The festival is part of a dynamic driven by the Lumière de Femmes association. This structure, founded by Nora Simon, brings together women in search of meaning, healing, and personal power. The project is based on a commitment to transmission, compassion, and unity. The book Run, Nora, Run retraces the journey of its founder, marked by polytrauma and family violence. Reconstruction was achieved through sports, spirituality, psychotherapy, and coaching. This path led to the creation of the festival and the desire to highlight those committed to human transformation.
The evening will conclude with a cocktail. This moment will offer a space for meetings between guests, influencers, ambassadors, and participants. Official photos and informal exchanges will extend the program.
The complete program, schedule, and practical information are available on the festival’s website.
