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Many boat shows still display some of their boats out of the water, in halls, on metal structures, lit by neon. In Cannes, the sea remains at the center of the show. This is not a minor detail. It's a philosophy.<\/p>\n
A 20-meter yacht resting on blocks is an object. In the Bay of Cannes, it becomes a boat again.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1977, the Cannes Yachting Festival brings together hundreds of boats each year at Port Canto and the Old Port, with large vessels displayed directly in the harbors, and smaller ones exhibited under tents on land. Engines ready to start, windsock visible, wake still present. You step aboard, feel the boat move beneath your feet, and understand what the catalog doesn't say.<\/p>\n
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The Festival International de la Plaisance, the original name of the Cannes Yachting Festival, was born in Cannes in 1977 for reasons that geography made obvious: two deep-water ports, first-class hotel infrastructure, an international clientele already present on the French Riviera. And the Mediterranean, right there, in September, at its maximum temperature.<\/p>\n
What was intended to be a regional boat show is quickly becoming the global event for leisure yachting. Major brands realized early on that presenting a boat in the Bay of Cannes is not the same as presenting it in a neon-lit hall. The light, the sea, the context change everything in the perception of the product. A boat on the water is a living boat. A boat on concrete is a sculpture.<\/p>\n
A boat out of the water is half dead. Docked in a hall, all boats end up looking the same. Same artificial light, same concrete floor, same silence. In Cannes, the sea immediately puts differences back in their place. The hull you see isn't the same as in a catalog. The engine noise is there. The movement is there. A 12-meter boat looks huge in a hall. In the water, a 12-meter boat regains its real proportions.<\/p>\n
In Cannes, we board with deck shoes, move from boat to boat via the gangways, sit in the cockpits, and test the interior spaces in near-real-life conditions. This is why the From Antonio D42<\/a> chose the Cannes Film Festival for its world premiere in 2019. The clean aft platform, the waterline, the power increase, all of that can truly only be understood on the water.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 2026 edition of the Cannes Yachting Festival will be held in September at Port Canto and the Old Port of Cannes. The exact dates will be confirmed on the Official festival website<\/a>,Recent editions generally take place over a full week, from Tuesday to Sunday, in the first or second week of September.<\/p>\n September remains one of the best months to sail the French Riviera. The sea reaches its maximum temperature. The summer wind patterns begin to stabilize. The light changes in quality, becoming more golden and less direct. It's no coincidence that the festival has always chosen this month: the setting is part of the product.<\/p>\n During festival week, Port Canto is transformed. The docks overflow, tenders shuttle between boats, and crews in white polos bustle on deck. Behind the showcased hulls, Cannes becomes the gravitational center of global yachting for a few days: builders, brokers, designers, shipyards, investors. An entire industry converges on the Croisette. And meanwhile, in the Bay of Cannes, a stone's throw from the exhibition docks, sailing continues. The sea, on the other hand, is not putting on a show.<\/p>\n From a boat offshore of Port Canto during the festival, you can see something visitors miss: the alignment of the displayed hulls from the water, the boats in their real environment, the bay with the Croisette in the background, and the L\u00e9rins Islands<\/a> on the horizon. From the water, the Cannes Yachting Festival suddenly seems obvious.<\/p>\n Our boats are based at Port Canto, in the heart of the festival area. During the Cannes Yachting Festival week, we offer private charters departing from the port, heading towards the L\u00e9rins Islands, Cap d\u2019Antibes, or simply cruising the bay to see the festival from its best vantage point. The boats available departing from Cannes<\/a> including the models you might see displayed on the pontoons, except here they are sailing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nCannes Yachting Festival 2026: the September edition<\/h2>\n
See the festival from the sea<\/h2>\n