Cannes Yachting Festival 2023: Everything you need to know

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The Cannes Yachting Festival is due to return from 12-17 September 2023.

Founded in 1977, the Cannes boat show takes place in the beautiful French city every September and showcases almost 600 boats, including motor yachts, superyachts, catamarans, tenders and sailing yachts.

The in-water show in the Bay of Cannes takes place in two of the city’s ports, the Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto.

What’s new at the Cannes Yachting Festival?

The layout of the show changed in 2019 – all the sailing yachts are now displayed in Port Canto at the other end of the Croisette, leaving motor boats to fill the space vacated at the original Vieux Port location. The brokerage sector stayed at Port Canto as usual.

The two sites are linked by regular sea and bus shuttle services departing every 15 minutes – visitors simply need to present their show tickets to access these free services.

Organisers say that the change of layout helped create 1,000 linear metres of extra berthing representing a 7% increase on 2018.

How to get to the Cannes Yachting Festival

From Nice airport you can get a shuttle bus direct to Cannes, or buses 200 and 210. If you prefer taking a cab, a taxi will cost from around €55, depending on the number of passengers.

If money is no object and you want to travel in style, then book a helicopter with Azur Hélicoptère, which will take you from Nice to Cannes in around seven minutes and for just over €500.

Where to stay during the Cannes Yachting Festival

Cannes has a large selection of different types of accommodation. From luxurious five-star hotels to more affordable apartments, there is something to suit every budget. Just make sure you book in advance as the city gets very busy during the boat show.

Read our guide of where to stay near the Cannes Yachting Festival