The 49th Cannes Yachting Festival, the first under director Constance Brément, will kick off on Tuesday 8 September and run through Sunday 13 September 2026 on the Côte d’Azur.
The annual event, held at the start of the European boating season, will bring together 680 exhibitors and over 700 boats between 5 and 50 metres. Displays will cover a broad range of sectors, including yachts, powerboats, dayboats, sailing yachts and catamarans. International visitors are projected at 56,000.
For the 2026 edition, around 535 new motorboats from 3 to 50 metres long are expected, including nearly 120 world premieres.
As in previous years, tickets are available exclusively online, with organisers confirming that none will be sold at the show entrances.
Doors open at 10am every day. Closing is at 7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, at 10pm on Friday, and 6pm on Sunday.
While the latest print issue of Marine Industry News will be delivered to all exhibitors at CYF, extra copies are available on request. Contact MIN‘s publisher Mike Shepherd.
New director, new vision
The 2026 edition represents an important new chapter for Cannes, with Constance Brément stepping into the role of festival director, after Sylvie Ernoult’s retirement. Drawing on her experience in both sailing and the luxury sector, Brément brings renewed energy to the acclaimed event.
“In a constantly changing environment, the Cannes Yachting Festival reaffirms its role as a strategic partner and growth lever for the international yachting sector,” says Brément. “For this new edition, we are continuing our mission to provide an exceptional setting to highlight innovations in the sector and launch the season.
“The foundations of the Cannes Yachting Festival’s success are built on the quality of our offer, our exhibitors’ commitment, and qualified visitors visiting from all over the world. Once again this year, we are doing everything we can to celebrate yachting, promote each segment, ensure a seamless journey that invites visitors to explore the latest innovations available, and provide an experience for them worthy of Cannes.”
Visitor routes
The show is organised across two sites, with each location divided into dedicated exhibition areas. At the Vieux Port, visitors can see motorboats from 12 to 50 metres, including superyachts, flybridges, open boats, trawlers and RIBs. The Pantiero hosts the Power Cat Village, dedicated to motor catamarans. In 2026, the new Jetée will add an exhibition area for yachts in water and engine manufacturers on land. Large yachts will be located at Quai Max Laubeuf, while the Palais des Festivals will continue to host the equipment and fittings sector.
At Port Canto, the visitor route forms a continuous 2.5 km loop. The Sailing Area will feature 120 new sailing boats over 10 metres, exhibited in water. The Power Boat Marina will accommodate 180 dayboats up to 12-13 metres, while the Yacht Brokerage sector will showcase more than 45 boats over 25 metres. The site will also include the Toys area.
A sea shuttle will connect Port Canto and the Vieux Port, with departures scheduled every fifteen minutes.
Slow boating in focus
This year’s event will focus on slow boating, a cruising approach based on shorter passages, more time in coastal areas and greater consideration of the marine environment.
“Slow boating answers a very concrete expectation: giving time and space back to the sea passage and to the places it crosses,” says Brément. “The boats, like the network of marinas and destinations present this year, show that the journey and the stopovers are an essential part of the boating experience, encouraging navigation that is more informed, more local and more attentive to marine environments.”
A 2023 study by the French Fédération des Industries Nautiques reports that 72 per cent of the boat users interviewed want to reduce their cruising pace, 65 per cent want to reduce fuel consumption and 58 per cent are dissatisfied with fixed itineraries. Booking.com research, based on more than 27,000 respondents across 33 countries, reports that 67 per cent of travellers would like to explore less-frequented routes and immersive experiences.
The festival will also feature marina networks, port operators and nautical destinations, including Barbados, Catalonia, D-Marin, Sardinia and Tunisia.
Cannes Yachting Festival selects 47 projects for 2026 Innovation Route
Featuring eco-friendly advancements like recyclable batteries, electro-solar propulsion, foil technology, and smart mooring, the Cannes Yachting Festival’s 2026 Innovation Route highlights the future of sustainable, connected and accessible leisure boating. It returns for its third year.
Out of 120 applications, a panel of expert judges selected 47 standout innovations, praising the industry’s rapid technological transformation and growing commitment to decarbonisation, AI, and safety without compromising on the joy of sailing.
Throughout the festival, dedicated signage will mark the selected projects, culminating in the announcement of four Innovation Route Award winners on opening day, Tuesday, 8 September. Each winner, along with the recipient of a Special Jury Prize for exemplary boldness, will be presented with a custom trophy crafted by France Hélice.
2026 Best of Boat Awards
For the first time, Cannes will host the ceremony announcing the finalists of the 2026 Best of Boat Awards, a European award focused on motorboats. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday 9 September at 6.00pm at the Port Canto VIP Club. The jury comprises representatives from 15 countries.
About the Cannes Yachting Festival
The Cannes Yachting Festival was founded in 1977. The 2024 edition recorded 650 exhibitors, 700 boats and around 55,000 visitors. The show is organised by RX France.
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