Monaco Yacht Show 2026: What to Expect This Year

Monaco Yacht Show 2026: What to Expect This Year

The Monaco Yacht Show 2026 runs September 23–26 at Port Hercule, and for four days the harbor holds the largest concentration of new superyachts anywhere in the world. This is the 35th edition. About 120 superyachts are berthed stern-to along the quays, 43 of them delivered in 2026, with more than 560 exhibitors covering every part of the industry: builders, designers, naval architects, brokers, equipment makers and service yards. For anyone following where large-yacht design is heading, or considering a purchase in the next few seasons, this is the week to be on the docks.

Why the Monaco Yacht Show Matters

Most boat shows are measured by the number of exhibitors. Monaco is measured by tonnage. The average yacht in the show is about 50 meters LOA, and the largest are over 100 meters. No other show puts this much new, in-water, full-size superyacht construction in one harbor at the same time.

The show also sets the calendar for the year ahead. Builders time their deliveries so a new yacht's first public appearance is in Port Hercule. Designers reveal their concepts here. Brokers bring their best listings, because the buyers they want are walking the same quay. BOAT International's Global Order Book 2026 reports that the number of yachts on order has fallen for a second year, while average length and tonnage under construction are at record highs, and slots at the leading yards are committed through 2028–2029. What is shown in Monaco this week is a fair picture of what will be cruising for the next decade.

For American buyers, the show is also the most efficient way to compare European yards side by side. In one afternoon you can walk from a Lürssen to a Sanlorenzo to a Benetti and see the differences in build, finish and layout firsthand.

What to Expect at the 2026 Show

The fleet spans 23.98 meters to more than 100 meters LOA, and the show is laid out in distinct areas:

• Dockside Area: the main quays of Port Hercule, where the superyachts and more than 60 luxury tenders are berthed. Most of the week is spent here.

• Sailing Yacht Area: a dedicated section for large sailing yachts and performance cruisers.

• Adventure Area: explorer yachts, long-range builds and the onboard experiences that go with them.

• Blue Wake: the show's sustainability program, covering hybrid systems, alternative fuels and emissions reduction.

• Yacht Design & Innovation Hub and the new Designer Gallery: concept projects and design studios, gathered in one place for the first time this year.

• BOAT Lounge and the Monaco Yacht Summit: industry talks, roundtables and a live podcast series on the market and propulsion.

The New Builds to Watch

Nixie · Lürssen · 102.4m (336')

The largest 2026 delivery in the show. Exterior and interior are by RWD, and she runs diesel-electric. Her beach club is the largest Lürssen has built, expandable to about 2,906 sq ft. She also has a 6m glass-sided pool, a gym of about 1,550 sq ft with cryotherapy and steam, and a commercial-certified helipad.

Leviathan · Oceanco · 111m (364')

Listed as the longest yacht in this year's fleet. Her owner designed her around the crew: a crew saloon seating 54 and a bridge-deck games room with 15 stations and two racing simulators.

Pangea · Amels · 79.8m (262')

The first Amels 80, with exterior by Espen Øino and interior by Sinot. Hybrid propulsion and a 6.5m aft pool.

Silver Fox · Sanlorenzo · 73.4m (241')

A diesel-electric yacht from Sanlorenzo's steel series, with exterior by Zuccon International Project and interior by Paszkowski Design. She has a glass-fronted infinity pool and a stated range of 6,000 nm.

Dagger · Benetti B.Now 67M · 67m (220')

The largest Benetti yet with the B.Now Oasis Deck, where the infinity pool's sides fold down to open the deck to the water. Waste heat from the generators heats the yacht's water.

Kinda II · Baglietto T60 · 60.6m (199')

The largest yacht in Baglietto's 170-year history. The main deck has floor-to-ceiling glass that slides fully open, and the beach club and saloon connect over two levels.

Riva 54 Metri · Riva · 54.84m (180')

The largest Riva ever launched, and the first hull of the model. Four decks, kept under 500 GT. It is the closest the yard has come to the superyacht Carlo Riva had in mind.

Akula · Rossinavi · 59.4m (195')

A diesel-electric explorer with a range above 8,000 nm and a full wellness area. She is built for owners who plan to cruise well beyond the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Premieres Closer to Home: Yachts Under 40 Meters

Not every new build in Monaco is a hundred meters long. A good share of the premieres fall between 79' and 130' LOA, the range that suits owner-operated and small-crew programs cruising Florida, the Bahamas and the Northeast:

• Moonen Martinique "Lollipop" · 37.4m (123'): hull eight of the series, with an interior reworked by Vripack

• Pershing GTX116 · 35.33m (116')

• Custom Line 35 · 34.5m (113')

• Horizon FD100 · 31m (102'): making her Monaco debut

• Sunseeker 100 Yacht, 90 Ocean and 82 Ocean Enclosed: all first appearances in Monaco

• Princess Y95 · 29.1m (95') and X90 · 27.11m (89')

• Arksen 85 · 27.4m (90'): a long-range explorer sized for a small crew

• Wallywhy200 · 27m (89')

• Arcadia A96 and A80: the A80, at 23.98m, is the smallest yacht in the 2026 new-build fleet

Design and Technology in the Spotlight

Hybrid and Diesel-Electric Propulsion

Nixie, Silver Fox, Pangea, Amor à Vida and Akula all run hybrid or diesel-electric systems. For owners, the practical gains are quieter running at anchor, lower fuel burn at cruise, and the option to sit on battery power overnight without a generator running.

Wellness Decks and Beach Clubs

Wellness is now planned into the general arrangement from the start. Nixie's gym, Singolare's dedicated upper-deck wellness area and Dagger's Oasis Deck all give owners and guests more space at the waterline and above it.

Explorer Range and Ice Class

Gray Wolf, from Mengi Yay's Virtus XP series, is built to RINA ice class with a range of 6,000 nm at 10 knots. Akula carries more than 8,000 nm. These yachts are specified for high latitudes as much as for the Riviera.

Glass and Open-Plan Living

Kinda II's sliding glass main deck and Singolare's glass saloon walls show how far builders now go to connect the interior with the deck. More glazing changes how a yacht is lived on in fair weather, and it changes what a surveyor looks at too.

Solar and Electric Running

The GX42 Merinos carries 27 kW of solar across a low superstructure and can run about 100 nm on electric power at 6 knots. Sunreef continues to build solar skins into hulls and superstructures on its catamarans.

Sailing Yachts and Multihulls

The Sailing Yacht Area has a strong list this year. Ares Yachts' 62m Simena combines steel and carbon composite with hybrid propulsion and a profile modeled on a ketch. Vitters' 44.3m Magic and Nautor Swan's 38.98m Raijin, both 2025 deliveries, make their Monaco debuts. Among the smaller yachts, the Grand Soleil 80, the Lagoon Eighty 3 catamaran and Sunreef's Ipharra II are all new this year.

Brokerage and Refits on the Docks

The show is not only new construction. Brokers and charter operators are presenting 38 yachts, built between the mid-1980s and 2025. For buyers weighing new build against pre-owned, two refits are worth seeing: Feadship's 51m Double Haven, built in 1993 and refitted in 2024, and Benetti's 56m Galaxy, built in 2005. A well-executed refit on a proven hull can deliver much of what a new build offers without a three-year wait for a yard slot.

Passes and Access

All passes are sold online at monacoyachtshow.com. There are no ticket sales at the gate.

• Visitor Pass (1–4 days): Thursday through Saturday includes the Dockside Area; on Wednesday it does not.

• MYS VIP Pass (1–4 days): Wednesday Dockside access, dedicated entrances, courtesy car service, a bay tour and lunch at the Upper Deck Lounge.

• Prestige VIP Programme: all four days plus the Grand Opening Night, with a personal concierge and airport transfers. By application.

• Captains & Crew Pass: for crew of yachts not exhibiting.

Show hours are 10:00–18:30 Wednesday through Friday, and 10:00–18:00 on Saturday.

A pass gets you onto the docks. It does not get you aboard. Most yachts are shown by appointment through the listing broker or the builder's sales team, and those calendars fill quickly during show week.

How to Get to Port Hercule

• By air: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is the closest international airport. Helicopter transfers to the Monaco heliport take a few minutes. By road, allow 30 to 45 minutes outside peak traffic.

• By train: Monaco-Monte-Carlo station is a short walk from the harbor, with regular service along the coast from Nice.

• By car: possible, but traffic into the principality is heavy during show week. Allow extra time, or use the train.

• By yacht: berths are committed to the show fleet. Visiting yachts should arrange anchorage or a berth along the coast well in advance.

Planning a Productive Visit

• Buy your pass online and have it saved to your phone before you travel.

• Book boarding appointments in advance, and have them confirmed in writing with the broker's mobile number.

• Bring a passport or government ID. You may be asked for ID and, on yachts for sale, some evidence of purchasing intent.

• Wear soft-soled shoes that slip off easily. Shoes come off at the passerelle.

• List your must-see yachts in dock order so you don't walk the harbor twice.

• For any yacht you are considering buying, come with questions on survey history, class, flag, VAT status and annual running costs.

• Ask before taking photographs aboard.

Monaco in September: The Setting

Late September is a good time of year on the Riviera. The summer crowds have gone, the water is still warm, and the harbor is at its fullest. The show sits below the Rocher and the Monte-Carlo skyline, and most of the principality is within walking distance of the quay. Evenings during show week are given over to builder receptions and owner dinners along the waterfront. For many visitors the conversations off the docks are as useful as the ones aboard.

Final Thoughts

The Monaco Yacht Show is where the next generation of large yachts is shown for the first time, and where the yards, designers and brokers who build and sell them come together in one harbor. This year's fleet shows the direction plainly: longer and heavier yachts, hybrid and diesel-electric propulsion as standard practice, more space given to wellness and the water, and explorer range written into more specifications. For buyers on this side of the Atlantic, it is also a chance to compare European construction side by side, at full scale, in the water.

A yacht bought in Europe and brought to US waters raises questions of flag, VAT and duty status, USCG documentation and survey. Settle these before an offer is made. If you saw a yacht in Port Hercule this week and want an independent view of her, Spencer Christopher Yacht and Ship is available to help.