Cannes Yachting Festival: The Complete Insider Guide

What the Cannes Yachting Festival Actually Is

Forget exhibition halls with models behind rope barriers. The Cannes Yachting Festival is an in-water show: every boat sits in its berth, gangway down, and you walk aboard. You open lockers. You lie in the aft cabin. You stand at the helm and decide whether the instrument panel layout makes sense. No other format gives you this.

The show occupies two harbours. The Vieux Port, the old harbour on La Croisette directly below Le Suquet, holds sailing yachts, multihulls, and the equipment village. Port Canto, about 1.2 km east along the Boulevard de la Croisette, is dedicated to motor yachts and tenders. A free shuttle boat connects the two in roughly 8 minutes. Walking takes 15.

More than 600 boats are displayed across around 30,000 m² of floating pontoons. Some 50,000 visitors pass through over six days. The event is organised by the Fédération des Industries Nautiques (FIN), the same body behind the Paris Nautic show, and it has run annually since 1977. The 2025 edition is the 47th.

Virtually every major European production builder launches new models here. Beneteau, Jeanneau, Dufour, Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Bali, Hanse, Bavaria, Elan, Excess, Neel, Garcia: all of them line the pontoons. If you're comparing brands, this is the single most efficient week of the year to do it. For context on why so many exhibitors are French, see our piece on why France builds more boats than any other country.

When and Where , Dates, Hours, Layout

The show falls in the second or third week of September, typically Tuesday through Sunday. The 2025 edition runs 9–14 September. Doors open at 10:00, close at 19:00 daily, and 18:00 on the final Sunday. The organisers publish exact dates by January each year on the official site.

September in Cannes means air temperatures of 24–28 °C, sea temperature around 22 °C, and generally settled weather. The Mistral can push through from the northwest, but the Vieux Port is well protected by the Pointe de la Croisette and the Îles de Lérins. Port Canto is more exposed, so expect a little chop on the pontoons in 15 knots or more.

Layout Basics

• Vieux Port (Sailing): Monohulls line the Jetée Albert Édouard, catamarans are clustered on the eastern pontoons nearest Quai Max Laubeuf. Equipment exhibitors fill the Espace Riviera tent.
• Port Canto (Motor): Motor yachts from 10 m to 50 m-plus, plus tenders and RIBs. A separate entrance on Boulevard de la Croisette.
• Shuttle Boat: Free, runs every 10–15 minutes between the two sites. Much faster than walking in the midday heat.

A single ticket covers both sites. You'll get a wristband, so you can leave for lunch and return.

What to See , Sailing Yacht Highlights

The Vieux Port pontoons are where serious sailors spend their time. Here's what to prioritise.

Beneteau

The full Beneteau Oceanis range is typically on display, from the Oceanis 34.1 through to the Oceanis 51.1. For performance-minded sailors, the First series occupies a separate pontoon. Beneteau usually debuts at least one new model here. In 2024 it was the Oceanis 40.1 refresh.

Jeanneau

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey lineup is the direct competitor. Expect the SO 380, SO 410, SO 440, and SO 490 all in a row. The walk-around deck and twin-helm cockpit design are best understood by standing in the real boat. Photos don't convey it.

Dufour

Dufour typically shows its complete range, from the Dufour 37 up to the Dufour 530. Their interiors are the main draw. Felice Designs' joinery looks dramatically different in person than in catalogue renders. Walk aboard and open the galley drawers.

Catamarans

This is where the show really earns its keep. The three dominant French catamaran builders , Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, and Bali , all have models in the water. You can step from a Lagoon 40 to a Fountaine Pajot Isla 40 in under three minutes. Our three-brand catamaran comparison was largely researched at this show.

Niche Builders

Don't miss Excess (Beneteau Group's sportier catamaran brand), Neel Trimarans (the only production trimaran builder, based in La Rochelle), and Garcia Exploration (aluminium expedition yachts). These are boats you almost never see at smaller shows.

How to Visit , Practical Details

Timing Your Visit

Day one is crowded with press, industry buyers, and exhibitor staff still adjusting displays. Wednesday and Thursday are the sweet spot for serious browsing. Crowds thin, staff are rested and willing to talk properly. The final day is when some dealers become more flexible on pricing, though don't expect fire-sale discounts on a €350,000 boat.

What to Wear and Bring

Boat shoes are not optional. You will be turned away from pontoons in heels, hard-soled shoes, or bare feet. Bring a small backpack: there are no lockers. Carry water , September in Cannes is hot , sunscreen, and a portable battery for your phone. You'll be taking hundreds of photos.

Where to Eat

Port-side restaurants along Quai Saint-Pierre charge €22–35 for a main course and are packed by 12:30. Astoux et Brun on Rue Félix Faure does reasonable seafood platters at €28 for the small plateau. The smarter move: grab a pan bagnat or a crêpe from the stands on Rue Meynadier, 200 metres from the Vieux Port entrance, for €5–8. Eat on a bench overlooking the harbour.

Getting There

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is 25 km east. The 210 express bus runs to Cannes Gare SNCF in 45 minutes for €22 (2024 price). From the station, the Vieux Port is a 10-minute walk south. Driving is inadvisable. Parking near La Croisette during show week is essentially non-existent.

If You're Buying , How to Use the Show

The festival is a buying tool, not just a spectacle. Used properly, it can save you months of dealer visits across Europe. Here's the method experienced buyers follow.

Before the Show

Shortlist 3–5 models maximum. If you're looking at 40-footers, you might pick the Oceanis 40.1, Dufour 41, and Sun Odyssey 440, plus perhaps a Hanse 410 or Elan GT6. Read the reviews, note your questions, print spec sheets. Arrive knowing what you need to verify in person, not what you can learn from a website.

The Three-Pass Method

1. First pass (morning, day one of your visit): Walk the entire sailing section. Board everything on your shortlist. Take wide-angle photos of saloons, heads, cockpits, helm stations. Note first impressions. Don't talk price.
2. Second pass (afternoon or next day): Return to your top 2–3. Open every locker, check chain-plate access, crawl into the engine bay, test winch placement from the helm. Ask the yard representative, not the local dealer, about construction details. Questions like "what's the hull layup schedule?" and "where's the keel bolted?" separate tyre-kickers from buyers.
3. Third pass (final day): Confirm your choice. Now discuss pricing, delivery timelines, and options packages. At this point you know the boat. The dealer knows you know the boat. The conversation is faster and more honest.

Never buy on day one. The pressure of a show environment leads to expensive regret. Walk away, sleep on it, come back. For a full breakdown of what it costs to own, see our guide on real ownership costs.

If You're Chartering , Why the Show Matters

You don't need to be buying a boat to justify the trip. If you're chartering, this is where you see the exact yacht you'll be living on for a week. Not a render, not a spec sheet, but the actual model with its actual headroom and its actual galley layout.

Want to know whether a Dufour 41 or an Oceanis 40.1 is the right charter pick? Board both in 30 minutes. Trying to decide between a Lagoon 40 and an Isla 40? They're on adjacent pontoons.

Several charter management companies , Dream Yacht Charter, Navigare, Kiriacoulis , have stands at the show and offer early-bird booking for the following season. Discounts of 10–15% on summer 2026 bookings are common if you sign at the show. If you're new to chartering, our step-by-step booking guide covers the process.

For anyone comparing 40-foot charter yachts, there's no better single day in the year than a Wednesday morning at the Vieux Port.

Where to Stay During Show Week

Cannes hotels during the festival are expensive. The Croisette properties , Majestic, Martinez, Carlton , charge €400–800 per night. More realistic options:

• Hôtel Canberra (Rue d'Antibes): 500 m from Vieux Port, typically €140–180 per night in show week. Book by June.
• Antibes base: Stay near Port Vauban, 11 km east. Hotels run €90–130 per night. The train to Cannes takes 12 minutes and costs €2.90.
• Airbnb in La Bocca: Cannes's western neighbourhood, 3 km from the Vieux Port. Studios around €80–110 per night. Bus 1 runs every 10 minutes.

Book accommodation by July at the latest. By August, anything within walking distance is gone.

Beyond the Show , Cannes for Sailors

If you've come all the way to the Côte d'Azur, extend by a day or two. The French Riviera sailing grounds are right outside the harbour mouth.

Îles de Lérins

Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat sit just 1.5 NM south of the Vieux Port. The anchorage off the Cistercian monastery on Saint-Honorat is one of the quietest spots within sight of the Croisette. The monks still make wine: Clos de la Charitable, about €18 a bottle from their shop. The ferry from Quai Laubeuf runs every 30 minutes and costs €16.50 return.

Le Suquet

The old town above the Vieux Port. Climb the cobbled Rue Saint-Antoine to the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance for the best view of the show from above. You'll see the entire pontoon layout from up there, which helps with planning your next day. Dinner at Aux Bons Enfants on Rue Meynadier is a solid €25 fixed menu with no pretensions.

Further Afield

The Antibes to Saint-Tropez route starts just 6 NM east. If you're considering a Riviera sailing holiday, the show is the perfect preamble: see the boat, then sail the coast. Monaco is 30 NM east and makes a fine day trip by train. Twenty-five minutes, €5.70.