Cannes Yachting Festival – Royal Regattas

From 8 to 13 September, the Cannes Yachting Festival will take over the Vieux Port, Port Canto and the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès for its 49th edition.

As the first major event of the global yachting season, the show will bring together over 680 exhibitors and 700 boats ranging from 5 to 50 metres in length, with nearly 150 world premieres and some 56,000 international visitors expected.

The layout in Cannes allows visitors to explore two complementary worlds. The Vieux Port in particular brings together motorboats, superyachts, large dayboats, equipment suppliers and providers of nautical services. At Port Canto, the sailing area will showcase 120 new sailing yachts over 10 metres in length, whilst the Power Boat Marina will present 180 dayboats and the Yacht Brokerage section will bring together more than 45 yachts over 25 metres in length.

This year’s event also places an emphasis on innovation and the transformation of the sector. The Innovation Route will showcase solutions selected for their innovative nature and their contribution to a more sustainable future for the marine industry. The Innovation Route Awards will recognise innovations relating to navigation, sustainable products, boats and CSR initiatives.

The Cannes Yachting Festival will also, for the first time, host the announcement of the finalists for the 2026 Best of Boat Awards on 9 September at Port Canto.

From 19 to 26 September, the 48th Régates Royales, organised by the Cannes Yacht Club, will take centre stage.

Over a hundred classic yachts, ranging from 8 to 35 metres in length, are expected to take part in what is one of the world’s largest gatherings of ‘classics’. Restored and maintained with exceptional care, they bear the hallmarks of the great names in naval architecture and, in themselves, tell part of the story of international sailing.

For the public, the spectacle is not limited to the regattas. Before and after the races, the yachts can be viewed at the quayside, notably at the Quais Saint-Pierre and Laubœuf, near Le Suquet and just a few minutes’ walk from the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The Regatta Village, open daily from 9 am to 7 pm, hosts exhibitors and entertainment, including a concert every evening. Guided sea trips also offer the chance to follow the races up close.

This 48th edition is part of a long-standing tradition linking Cannes and the world of yachting. The Cannes Yacht Club, which organises the Régates Royales, is celebrating its 165th anniversary this year. As early as the 1930s, Cannes was already a favoured meeting place for the worlds of sailing and naval architecture. The future King Edward VII had then nicknamed the city the ‘Cowes of the Mediterranean ’, a reference to the famous British sailing event.