The 49th Cannes Yachting Festival brought together 56,000 visitors, 660 exhibitors and 700 boats from 5 to 55 metres across the Vieux Port and Port Canto.
Europe’s largest in-water boat show also hosted nearly 150 world premieres, 120 new sailing boats, 180 boats up to 13 metres in the Power Boat Marina, 95 catamarans and nearly 45 pre-owned yachts. The event covered 100,000sqms of net exhibition space and attracted 720 journalists from 45 countries.
The edition was the first under festival director Constance Brément, who said the show had delivered on its role as the opening event of the international boating season.
“Once again this year, in the heart of Cannes’ two iconic ports, we brought together an exceptionally rich showcase, committed exhibitors and the partners who make such a dynamic and globally focused event possible,” said Brément.
She added that the event had highlighted major changes in the sector and helped create connections between professionals, enthusiasts and visitors.
Multihull prominence
The Vieux Port focused on new motor yachts from 12 to 50 metres, while Port Canto hosted the sailing area, smaller powerboats, yacht brokerage and toys. The Power Cat Village brought together around 30 motor catamarans, reflecting the growing prominence of multihulls.
Sustainability and changing patterns of boat use were central themes. Exhibitors presented hybrid propulsion, solar energy, recyclable batteries, hydrogeneration, recycled materials, improved manufacturing processes and lower-impact coatings. The organisers also identified “slow yachting”, based on comfort, silence, self-sufficiency and marina-based experiences, as an increasingly important trend.
The Innovation Route, launched in 2024, selected 47 projects from 120 applications to demonstrate developments in electrification, energy efficiency, safety, onboard intelligence, new materials and marine biodiversity restoration.
The 2026 Innovation Route Awards went to BlueNav for Smart Mooring, Suzuki Marine for Suzuki Edge ECoat, Excess Catamarans for the Excess 11, D-Marin for its Biohut marine biodiversity initiative and Azimut Yachts for the Grande 44M, which received the Special Jury Prize.
The show also hosted the reveal of the 31 finalists for the Best of Boats Award 2026, reinforcing its role as a launch platform for the autumn boating season.
The Cannes Yachting Festival will mark its 50th anniversary from 7 to 12 September 2027, again across the Vieux Port and Port Canto.
