Organisers of the Cannes Yachting Festival have revealed new details about the changes upcoming for the show’s 2024 edition, which takes place in September.

Last year, organisers confirmed major changes to the show layout due to ongoing modernisation works at the old port, Vieux Port, in the city of Cannes.

The renovations mean certain land-based and in-water areas of the show — currently located in the Vieux Port — will have to be modified, resulting in new areas being created in Port Canto.

Eight months to the opening of the Cannes Yachting Festival 2024, its organisation is becoming clearer, with organisers confirming several new features that make it possible to accommodate the major modernisation and transformation works being undertaken this year and until 2026 in the Vieux Port.

“The year 2024 represents a year full of challenges for the Cannes Yachting Festival,” says Sylvie Ernoult, director of the Cannes Yachting Festival. “As we explained to our exhibitors last September, the works in the Vieux Port impact our show and are a challenge we are taking on to continue offering a high-quality product.

“The situation is gradually becoming clearer, and thanks to working closely with everyone playing a role in Cannes, we are making progress on setting up this edition. We are fortunate to be in both ports of Cannes and to be able to balance out our exhibition areas at each of our sites, knowing that it is very easy and fast to go from one port to another, thanks to the free sea shuttles.”

In the heart of the city, the Vieux Port remains the port for new 10-metre to 50-metre motor boats at the 2024 show, and for all the equipment manufacturers and service companies related to this industry. For 2024, the progress of the works will block off the areas on land but allow the large yachts to remain in the water in their usual spaces on the Jetée sud. The superyacht extension will remain the same, organisers have confirmed.

Canens Yachting Festival new marina

2024 will see the launch of a new area entirely dedicated to new motor boats from 8 metres long — marking the first time the Cannes Yachting Festival has presented boats of this size in water.

This marina will cover more than 1,700 m² and provide more than 300 m of linear quay. Visitors will find the boats and brands usually exhibited on Quai Max Laubeuf, an area that is unavailable this year due to the works.

A total of 170 boats (150 in water and twenty on land), with rigid or semi-rigid hulls, are expected in this brand-new space, which organisers say will benefit from a strong identity and adapted signage. In addition to the boats, a selection of outboard engines suitable for these boat sizes will also be present.

This marina will be located between the sailing and brokerage & toys areas that have been accommodated in Port Canto for several years.

An important new feature is that this year, for the first time, visitors will now be able to take a full tour of Port Canto (i.e. a loop of around 2.5 km) to discover almost 340 boats (120 new sailboats over 10 metres long, 170 power boats from 8 metres long and around 50 previously owned large yachts from 24 metres long) and many equipment manufacturers and service companies. Several traversantes (pontoons with a motorised central part) will allow visitors to go from one quay to another and small motor boats to go out for sea trials.

“The new marina located in Port Canto, mainly dedicated to 8-metre to 12-metre motor boats, will give incredible visibility to this boat segment, which will enjoy one of the biggest exhibition concentrations in water,” says Ernoult. “We believe this new space will attract a large number of our visitors and give some the opportunity to come and discover Port Canto for the first time. This new configuration for the show also allows us to create an even clearer and more simplified visitor circuit with almost one quay, or one large area, associated with a type of boat.

“Next September, Port Canto will almost be the same as the Vieux Port in terms of the number of boats displayed: almost 350 boats will be displayed on each side of the Croisette, maintaining the number of boats we plan to bring together at the show at 700,” she continues.

“I would like to reassure our exhibitors as well as our visitors about the quality of the 2024 show and the offer available. Our teams are working hard to put on a stunning 47th edition!”

In addition, many new services will also be implemented with an additional restaurant of more than 450 m² with capacity for 130 place settings, an entrance reserved for exhibitors, and a redesigned VIP Club.

In December, RX France won a seven-year legal battle over its right to operate the Cannes Yachting Festival up to 2041. The decision follows years of wrangling over management rights between the French leisure boating industry federation (Fédération des Industries Nautiques) and RX France.

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