Your guide to Cannes Yachting Festival
The Cannes Yachting Festival is where you can preview the world’s best superyachts
A much anticipated event on the yachting calendar that takes place in the heart of the French Riviera, the Cannes Yachting Festival unites an eclectic offering of motor and sail, new and old, presented for charter, sale or sea trials. It’s where the world’s leading shipbuilders come together to showcase latest launches and spotlight new innovations on the yachting circuit, set against a backdrop of the sun-drenched coast of the Côte d’Azur.
What is the Cannes Yachting Festival?
Across two locations, there are over 600 yachts on display
With upwards of 600 boats planned to be in attendance, including 120 new sailing boats from 10-28m and 500 new motor boats ranging from 5-45m, the 2022 show promises to return to its pre-pandemic level of excitement. On the water vessels are complemented by dockside exhibitions, such as the Luxury Gallery, a space dedicated to crafts and lifestyle, and all just a stone’s throw from the south of France’s siren boutique shops.
When is the Cannes Yachting Festival?
This six-day celebration of yachting is a more relaxed affair than the Monaco Yacht Show just along the coast
Taking place from 6-11 September 2022, the annual Cannes Yachting Festival kicks off yachting’s boat show season. Spread across six days, in one of the longest events, and often visitors’ first opportunity to glimpse coveted new releases and world debut launches.
Where is the Cannes Yachting Festival held?
As well as the Cannes Yachting Festival, there are so many attractions, so many reasons to visit Cannes and the French Riviera
Held in the Cannes port in the heart of the city, the Yachting Festival’s ideal French Riviera location is the perfect setting for pairing pleasure with business. Famed for its international film festival and nestled in the aptly named Bay of Cannes, the host city enjoys Antibes, Nice and Monaco to the East, flanked from the south by the balmy Mediterranean Sea. Arrival by land, sea or air has never been easier.
Vieux Port
The Vieux Port is overlooked by historic Le Suquet on one side and the Palais des Festivals, home to the Cannes Film Festival, on the other
As one of the oldest harbours on the French Riviera, Cannes' Vieux Port sits at the edge of an idyllic seafront and at the foot of Le Suquet hill. Visitors should drop anchor to enjoy the neighbouring forest-cloaked Lérins islands before stepping foot on the famous Albert-Edouard jetty along the Palais des Festivals, prime yacht spotting territory. Vieux Port is also where the Luxury Gallery takes place.
Port Pierre Canto
Port Pierre Canto lies across the bay at the other end of the famous La Croisette
Just across from Vieux port is Cannes’ Port Canto, where exhibiting in-water sailing yachts gather. The area spotlights the sailing community. It’s twinned with the Yacht Brokerage & Toys Area containing used boats available for sale or charter. Dockside, a range of nautical toys, perfect beach set-ups and the latest in must-have accessories for big yachts feature large.
Event overview: planning your trip to Cannes
Tenders shuttle guests between the two locations
Get the most out of your visit by planning your trip in advance. Tickets to the Cannes Yachting Festival start at EUR 19, with free entrance for children up to 10 years of age. Covid vaccine passes are no longer mandatory, and the show opens at 10.00 each day. For visitors interested in both show sites, a free maritime shuttle connects the two ports, running approximately every fifteen minutes, while parking for those arriving by car is easy.
What else can I do at the Cannes Yachting Festival?
Some yachts are available for sea trials in the Bay of Cannes
What better time to take a look at the best superyacht tenders and yacht toys on the market than checking out the newest launches on display. On occasion, the waterside show location even makes sea trials a possibility where relevant.
Discover the Luxury Gallery
There are some famous luxury brands on display too
For those more interested in accessories to go inside, rather than alongside the yacht, the Luxury Gallery presents the best in high-end lifestyle, most of which is suitable for yacht, jet, residence, or all of the above. The exciting exhibits can be found in Vieux Port.
Walk around La Croix-des-Gardes
The Chateau de la Croix-des-Gardes is the former home of Swiss industrialist Paul Girod and is beloved for its tremendous Belle Époque beauty, recalling a golden era on the French Riviera. The property is the largest remaining estate on the Cote D'Azur, perched high up on the verdant Croix des Gardes hill and famed for its starring role in Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. A walk around the landscaped gardens with sprawling vistas across Cannes is a must-do.
Visit the iconic La Croisette
Boulevard de la Croisette runs between the city and the beach
If you only visit one promenade when in town, make sure it’s Cannes’ Boulevard de la Croisette. Often referred to simply as ‘La Croisette’, it is one of the main focal points of the city. It links the beachfront hotspots of Port Canto and Cannes’ Old Port, while Le Suquet, the church-topped hill at the westerly end, presents the area’s breath-taking golden sunsets. Above all, it’s best known for the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, where the Cannes Film Festival is held.
Sail around the French Riviera
Glitz and glamour, history and culture, stunning scenery and fantastic beaches, there are so many reasons to visit the French Riviera
When on the French Riviera, sail. It’s the best, if not only way to experience the sapphire Cote D'Azur as it should be. Whether unfurling sails and heading where the wind takes you or dropping anchor on a motor yacht in a secluded bay, there is little doubt that time spent aboard a yacht epitomises Riviera living. Dine among the glitz and glamour of Monaco. Shop until you drop in Saint-Tropez. And sprawl for days on golden beaches in Nice. In between, take time to explore the seaside towns, quiet bays and sleepy fishing villages that pepper the coast less travelled.