on 12 Sep 2023
Over 700 boats are on display at Europe's biggest on-water boat show, from September 12-17.
The 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival has opened its gates today, welcoming thousands of visitors from one end of the Croisette to the other.
For six days, at the heart of the Bay of Cannes on the French Riviera, more than 700 vessels ranging from 5 metres to 50 metres are on display from more than 610 exhibitors. Nearly 55,000 visitors are expected at Vieux Port and Port Canto.
New for this year is an area afloat in the Vieux Port, which will accommodate over 50 smaller boats from 8-12 metres.
Yachts and boats on display span monohulls, multihulls, sailing and motor vessels, including both rigid and semi-rigid hulls, and new or previously owned, including numerous premieres and global launches.
Photo credit: Cannes Yachting Festival / Abracadabra Studio
2023 Cannes Yachting Festival opens
“Today, Europe’s biggest in-water boat show is opening its doors,” says festival director Sylvie Ernoult. “My team and I are immensely proud to conceive and build a boat show of this scale. This year, we will have the pleasure of welcoming more than 700 boats – a record and a real technical challenge.
“As always, our main objective is to satisfy our customers, serve the marine industry and put on the best event possible for our visitors. We are set on giving each boat, brand, piece of equipment, and innovation the best showcase. I hope that our visitors will find the boat or equipment of their dreams and that the new products our teams are presenting will receive the best welcome.”
More than 120 boats that have just left their workshops for the first time are being launched on the water to make their world debut during the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival. Alongside them, the areas on land are accommodating equipment suppliers, engine manufacturers, service companies and more.
Image credit: Cannes Yachting Festival/Abracadabra Studios
The boat show is organised into sectors by type of boat: around 540 motorboats are on display in the Vieux Port, with about 50 small boats starting at 8 metres long showcased in their new area in-water for the first time in a brand-new marina dedicated to them.
Port Canto welcomes the sailing world with 115 boats ranging from 10 to 30 metres, including around 30 new models, as well as the brokerage and charter area, the toys area dedicated to water toys and finally, the startup village, launched in 2021 in partnership with Mer Angels and BNP Paribas Banque Privée, to promote smart startups in the marine sector.
READ: Cannes Yachting Festival 2023: Everything You Need To Know
Several activities will take place daily at Port Canto, from Tuesday to Saturday (12-16 September 2023), from 5pm to 7pm, including on-water water toy demonstrations, a buy-one-get-one-free happy hour offer on drinks, and musical performances.
The Cannes Yachting Festival welcomes its Green Route back for the third year running to create awareness of eco-friendly innovations, with more than 60 exhibitors showcasing eco-efficient solutions to reduce the marine industry’s environmental impact on the sea and marine ecosystems. The Green Route can be found in both ports.
Excess 14 underway at Cannes
Tickets to Cannes range from €31 for a single-day pass to €1,375 for two people for six days, including VIP services.
This year, the ticket sales desk is exclusively online, and no tickets are being sold at the festival entrances.
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