The Monaco Yacht Show, for owners, buyers and their guests
Four days of superyachts on the quays of Port Hercule each September. What the passes really give you, how to get on board, how to arrive, and how to run the week from a villa on the western Riviera.
The Monaco Yacht Show is the superyacht exhibition held every September in Port Hercule, the harbour below the Rock of Monaco. The next edition runs from Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 September 2027: the Wednesday is by invitation only, and Thursday to Saturday are open to anyone with a ticket bought online. Yachts are boarded by appointment only, so a visit that matters is prepared weeks ahead.
This Monaco superyacht show is first of all a marketplace. The yachts on the quays are for sale, for charter or both, and the people who come with a real project (a future owner, a family looking at a summer charter, a captain or a family office scouting for a principal) spend their days on board with the exhibitor who invited them. Everyone else walks the pontoons, sees the hulls from the quay, visits the stands and the tender display, and enjoys the most concentrated view of large yachts anywhere in the Mediterranean.
This guide is written for both kinds of visitor, and for the people around them: the partner who wants a pleasant week on the coast, the friends invited for a couple of days, the assistant booking everything. It covers what the passes mean, the schedule, how to board, how to arrive by car, train, helicopter or tender, and why many regular visitors stay outside the Principality. If you are new to Monaco itself, our guide to things to do in Monaco in one day covers the palace, the museum and the old town, which make a good morning before or after the show.
The yacht exhibition in Monaco in figures
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
The show has been held in Port Hercule since 1991; the 2026 edition, from 23 to 26 September, was the 35th.
Source: Monaco Yacht Show, 2026 reviewIn 2026 the show presented 118 superyachts and 72 tenders, with 560 exhibitors and 30,678 visitors, of whom 13,368 were private guests invited by exhibitors.
Source: Monaco Yacht Show, 2026 reviewThe 2026 fleet averaged 47.50 metres in length, the longest yacht measured 111 metres, and 50 of the yachts on show had been delivered that year.
Source: Monaco Yacht Show, 2026 reviewThe 36th edition is announced for 22 to 25 September 2027. Wednesday is by invitation only (10:00 to 18:30), Thursday and Friday are open to all (10:00 to 18:30), Saturday closes at 18:00, and entry stops 30 minutes before closing.
Source: Monaco Yacht Show, FAQYachts on display are visited by appointment only, arranged with the exhibitor at its discretion. Children up to the age of 8 enter free; from 8, a ticket is required.
Source: Monaco Yacht Show, FAQNice Côte d’Azur airport is about 22 km from Monaco, under 30 minutes by motorway, and Monaco Monte-Carlo railway station has an access point at Port Hercule.
Source: Monaco Yacht Show, organise your stayWhich pass for which visitor at the superyacht show
The official site sells and issues several passes, and the names do not make their logic obvious. What matters is the day you can enter and whether you can reach the dockside area, where tenders, water toys and the smaller craft are shown. The table below sums up what the show’s own FAQ says, by type of visitor. Rules can change from one edition to the next, so always confirm on the official site before you travel.
| You are | Usual pass | From which day | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| A buyer or charterer invited by an exhibitor | Exhibitor guest pass | Wednesday | All exhibition areas including the dockside area, plus the appointments your host has set up on board |
| A private visitor with an invitation | Visitor pass | Wednesday | The exhibition from the invitation day, without the dockside area on Wednesday |
| A private visitor or professional without an invitation | Visitor pass bought online | Thursday | The quays, stands and tender display; boarding only if an exhibitor agrees to an appointment |
| A journalist | Press pass | Collected from the Tuesday before | Requested online with a letter from the outlet, within the window the press office sets each summer |
| A child up to 8 | No ticket | Any public day | Free entry; from age 8 a ticket is needed, and strollers on narrow pontoons are hard work |
Ticket prices and current conditions are on the official show website. We do not sell show tickets.
How to board a yacht at the Monaco boat show
Buying a ticket does not get you on board. Each yacht is visited by appointment with the exhibitor, who decides who comes aboard, and the slots on the most talked-about yachts go to qualified buyers and charter clients first. If you have a genuine project, the useful work happens in the summer: the exhibitor list and the fleet list are published in July (in 2026, on 8 and 17 July), which is when owners’ representatives ask for viewings.
On the day, expect to take your shoes off on board, to be asked not to photograph certain areas, and to be accompanied throughout. There is no official dress code, but the organisers can refuse entry to anyone whose clothing or behaviour they find out of keeping with the event. Practical clothes and flat soles are the norm on pontoons, with something smarter in the bag for the evening.
- Decide what you are looking for
Size range, purchase or charter, and the season you have in mind. A family wanting a summer charter does not need the same viewings as a first-time buyer.
- Study the fleet list in July
Shortlist the yachts that fit, and note which are new launches: those draw the most requests.
- Ask for appointments early
Through the exhibitor or your own adviser, with a preferred day. If you hold an exhibitor guest pass, the invitation-only Wednesday is the quietest day on the quays.
- Keep one day free
Viewings move. A day with nothing booked lets you accept a second visit or a sea trial proposal without cancelling dinner plans.
Arriving at Port Hercule: car, train, helicopter or tender
During the show, private yachts cannot enter Port Hercule, and security checks every vessel coming in or out. Guests arriving by tender land at the pontoons the show assigns: exhibitor guests at the Quai des États-Unis pontoon, other pass holders at the Quai Rainier Ier pontoon, collecting their pass at the Quai Antoine Ier entrance. Car parks surround the port, buses keep running, and the regional train stops at Monaco Monte-Carlo station, which has an access point at Port Hercule.
From the western Riviera, the choice usually comes down to the time of day and the number of people. Our concierge plans it the evening before, after checking the morning’s appointments.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Car with driver | Groups, early appointments, carrying samples or bags | Coast and motorway traffic is heavy during show week; we leave earlier than you would think |
| Regional train | One or two visitors travelling light | Busy trains at opening and closing time; check timetables on the official railway site |
| Helicopter transfer | A tight schedule or an evening event in Monaco | Weather can cancel a flight, so a car always stays on standby |
| Tender from a charter yacht | Charter guests anchored off the coast | Use the assigned pontoon and carry your pass details; yachts cannot berth inside the port |
Staying in a Riviera villa during the Monaco Yacht Show
Rooms in the Principality are in high demand during show week, and many regular visitors base themselves elsewhere on the coast: closer to Nice airport, with space to receive, and away from the noise of the quays in the evening. A villa in the Cannes hills or on the Cap d’Antibes works well for that. It turns the show into a working week with a proper home behind it, where you can host a broker, an owner’s representative or a captain for lunch on the terrace rather than in a crowded bar.
On the Cap d’Antibes, Villa Zeliane includes a car with driver for five hours a day, airport transfers, a butler and a housekeeper, which covers most show days without adding services. In Cannes, Villa Elaris looks across the bay to the Lérins Islands and has a hammam and a massage room for the end of a long day on the pontoons, while Villa Orvella sleeps twenty guests with two independent apartments, useful for a family office bringing its team. The full choice is in our selection of villas to rent near Cannes, and our Cap d’Antibes guide explains the peninsula for the days off.
Late September is also a gentler moment on the coast than high summer: the beaches are quieter, and a week combining two or three show days with time at the villa suits partners and children who have no interest in hull specifications.
Combining the show with a yacht charter
The show is where many future charterers first set foot on the yacht they will later book. A natural sequence is to visit in September, choose a yacht and a crew, and charter the following summer from a villa base. Some guests prefer to do it the same week: a few days in Monaco, then a short charter along the coast before flying home, with the villa as a fixed point for luggage and family.
We organise both halves: the residence, and a yacht charter through our concierge, with transfers between the two. Our page on the Saint-Tropez villa and yacht charter explains how a land and sea stay is put together, and the same approach applies to the Cannes and Antibes side of the coast. For the other busy weeks in the calendar, from May to the end of summer, see our Riviera season guide for Cannes and Monaco.
- Buyers: keep two show days for viewings and one for a second visit or sea trial, then the rest of the week at the villa.
- Charter clients: shortlist at the show, then let us match the yacht’s dates with a villa for the following season.
- Guests and partners: one public day on the quays is usually enough; the Rock, the gardens and the coast fill the others.
Planning the 2027 show week, month by month
- Winter to spring
Fix your dates around the 22 to 25 September 2027 edition and reserve the villa: residences near Cannes and on the Cap d’Antibes that suit a working week are the first to go.
- June
Tell us who is coming and on which days, so drivers, the helicopter option and a private chef for hosted dinners can be planned.
- July
Read the exhibitor and fleet lists when they are published, and request your appointments on board.
- September, the week before
Confirm passes and appointments, the pontoon if you arrive by tender, and the daily transport plan with our concierge.
- Show week
Morning departure timed to traffic, viewings, lunch on board or ashore, and an evening back at the villa or a dinner booked in Monaco.
Our villas for the Monaco Yacht Show week
Residences on the western Riviera, each visited by our team, close to Nice airport and set up for receiving guests.
The villas side by side
Guests, bedrooms, space and highlights at a glance.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa ZelianeCap d'Antibes | 10 | 7 | 6 | 340 m² | Heated Pool, Tennis Court, Hammam, Sauna, Gym |
| Villa ElarisCannes | 10 | 5 | 5 | 500 m² | Heated Pool, Sea View, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Massage Room |
| Villa SoryaCannes | 12 | 6 | 6 | 550 m² | Heated Pool, Gym |
| Villa OrvellaCannes | 20 | 12 | 12 | 1,100 m² | Heated Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
A show week run from one place
What we take care of so that you can concentrate on the yachts.
Transport timed to appointments
Drivers, train or helicopter chosen each evening according to the next day’s viewings and the traffic.
A home for hosting
A private chef or butler for lunches and dinners with brokers, captains or family, at the villa rather than in a crowded port.
Land and sea together
The villa and a yacht charter arranged by the same team, with transfers between the two.
Residences we know
Every villa has been visited by our team, and some are available without being published online.
Monaco Yacht Show questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamIs the Monaco Yacht Show open to the public?
Yes, from the Thursday. The opening Wednesday is by invitation only, then Thursday, Friday and Saturday are open to anyone holding a ticket bought on the official website. A public ticket gives access to the quays, the stands and the tender display. It does not give access on board: yachts are visited by appointment with the exhibitor, who decides who comes aboard.
When is the Monaco Yacht Show 2027?
The 36th edition is announced for Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 September 2027 in Port Hercule. Wednesday is reserved for invited guests, Thursday and Friday run from 10:00 to 18:30, and Saturday closes at 18:00. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The Monaco Yacht Show 2026 took place from 23 to 26 September. Check the official site for any change before you book travel.
Can you go on the yachts at the Monaco Yacht Show?
Only by appointment. Each exhibitor organises the visits of its own yachts and chooses who comes aboard, giving priority to buyers and charter clients with a real project. If you are one of them, ask for viewings in July when the fleet list is published, through the exhibitor or your adviser. Without an appointment, you see the yachts from the quay.
What do you wear to the Monaco Yacht Show?
There is no official dress code, but the organisers can refuse entry to anyone whose clothing or behaviour they consider out of keeping with the event. Smart casual is the norm. Wear flat, soft soles: shoes usually come off before boarding, and you will walk a long way on pontoons. A light layer helps on the water in a tender at the end of the day.
How do you get to the Monaco Yacht Show from Nice airport?
Monaco is about 22 km from Nice Côte d’Azur airport, under 30 minutes by motorway outside peak traffic. You can also take the regional train to Monaco Monte-Carlo station, which has an access point at Port Hercule, or a helicopter transfer. If you stay in one of our villas, the concierge arranges the driver or the helicopter and times departures to your appointments.
Can children go to the Monaco Yacht Show?
Yes. Children up to the age of 8 enter free, and a ticket is required from 8. The show is a long walk on quays and pontoons, and boarding appointments are not designed for young children, so many families bring them for a short visit on a public day and leave them at the villa with a babysitter, arranged on request, for the working days.
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Your Monaco week, organised with us
Send Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad your show days and the number of guests: we suggest the villa, then organise drivers, helicopter transfers, a private chef and, if you wish, a yacht charter afterwards. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or contact@lutetia-group.com, with a reply usually within the day.