Monaco Yacht Show: the world's premier superyacht event

What the Monaco Yacht Show is

The Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) is the superyacht industry's central meeting point. Held at Port Hercule since 1991, it is not a boat show in the ordinary sense: almost nothing on the quays is for sale to the general public, and the vessels moored bow-to along the harbour are there to be shown to a small number of prospective owners and charter clients.

The 2026 edition runs from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 September, the 35th since the show began. Around 120 superyachts are berthed in the harbour, joined by some 50 luxury tenders and more than 560 exhibitors — shipyards, brokerage houses, naval architects, and the suppliers who fit these boats out.

If you are deciding whether to buy a ticket, the money and access questions are covered separately in the visitor's guide to attending the show.

What is actually on display

The superyacht fleet. The main quays are lined with vessels typically over 25 metres, the largest running past 100 metres. Several arrive as world premieres — hulls that have never been shown publicly before. The European yards you will see repeatedly are Lürssen, Feadship, Benetti, Oceanco, Amels and Sanlorenzo.

Tenders and toys. A dedicated area gathers the chase boats, limousine tenders, submersibles and water toys that large yachts carry. It is the most approachable part of the show and the part that changes fastest year to year.

The exhibition halls and stands. Away from the water, the exhibitor stands cover navigation and propulsion systems, interior design, crew agencies, marine insurance, flag registries and yacht management. This is where most of the show's actual business is done.

Conferences. The programme has shifted noticeably towards decarbonisation, alternative fuels and refit-versus-newbuild economics. Two days before the show opens, the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous takes over the Yacht Club de Monaco on 20–21 September 2026 for its sixth edition — a professional gathering of around 250 marina operators and eco-technology firms, closing with the Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards.

Can you go aboard?

This is the question that trips up most first-time visitors, and the answer is usually no. The show's own rule is unambiguous: yachts are visited exclusively by appointment, arranged with the exhibitor and at the exhibitor's discretion. A ticket buys you the quays, the stands and the tender area — it does not buy you a deck.

Photography and video are permitted within the show perimeter. Drones are prohibited for the duration of the event.

The week around the show

The MYS sits at the end of a run of September yachting fixtures. The Cannes Yachting Festival takes place earlier in the month, and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show follows in late October; between them these three events define the industry's autumn selling season.

Monaco's other marine events fall elsewhere in the calendar — the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in July, and the biennial Monaco Classic Week, whose next edition is 8–11 September 2027. If you arrived searching for a "Monaco Boat Show", the guide to Monaco's marine event calendar explains what exists under which name.

What it does to the Principality

For four days the harbour is closed to ordinary traffic, the quaysides are fenced, hotel rates across Monaco, Beausoleil and Cap-d'Ail reach their annual peak, and restaurant tables near the port become effectively unbookable. If you are in Monaco that week without a show ticket, the practical guide to the show week sets out what stays open, what moves and what is worth avoiding.

The MYS is the opening fixture of the Monegasque autumn. SPORTEL, the Fête du Prince, No Finish Line and the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival follow it — the full season is set out in the autumn guide.

Related reading

• Port Hercule: Monaco's historic harbour
• Yacht Club de Monaco
• Chartering a yacht from Monaco