Organisers of the Cannes Yachting Festival have announced a change to the show layout for September 2024. The alterations are planned for next year’s event due to ongoing modernisation works at the Vieux Port.

The Cannes Yachting Festival is spread across two ports, both of which are a short walking distance from each other. The Vieux Port is one of the oldest harbours on the French Riviera and during this year’s event, was home to 540 yachts, while Port Canto welcomed 115 sailing yachts from 10 to 30-metres.

The Cannes Yachting Festival is managed by RX France, and the technical teams and Show Director Sylvie Ernoult have been working together with the City of Cannes and MVPC, since the first quarter to design a new, optimum layout that is suitable for the show while the work is being carried out.

The city of Cannes plans to renovate and modernise the Vieux Port resulting in new areas being created. The concession was awarded for the Vieux Port to the Marina Vieux Port de Cannes (MVPC) consortium in 2022 for a period of 30 years, with renovation starting in 2024 and due to finish at the end of 2026.

The Vieux Port modernisation project will impact the southern part of the Jetée Albert Edouard on the north/west side of the port entrance, the careening area, and the Max Laubeuf car park, located opposite, to the south/west of the port entrance.

“It is clear that the work to modernise the Vieux Port means that we will have to modify some of our installations and how we accommodate our exhibitors and visitors during the Cannes Yachting Festival 2024,” explained Filippo Rean, Managing Director of RX France.

“Working constructively with the city and MVPC teams, our teams are already able to anticipate the main impacts on the different areas we occupy and find alternatives in the best possible conditions for the 2024 edition and those that follow.”

In order to replace the areas that can not be used during the work, two new large areas will be created in Port Canto: the Mega Yachts area, for large boats up to 55-metres and the Small Boats Area, for small boats from 8-metres.

Over the three years Vieux Port will evolve to accommodate the work taking place. In 2024, Quai Max Laubeuf will be home to a selection of 10-20-metre boats and around 20 power catamarans , while the Jetée will accommodate large yachts from 22-metres.

The Super Yachts Extension will remain with its large boats and visitors will be able to access this via a new visitor pathway along the jetty’s work site. The other areas in the Vieux Port will remain the same as in previous years.

“We have been working hard for several months now to arrange the best installation possible for 2024, taking into account the various technical and safety constraints. The 2024 show configuration will therefore see the Vieux Port’s reception areas that can't be used anymore transferred to Port Canto, and will enable all exhibitors and boats present this year to be accommodated,” added Sylvie Ernoult, Director of the Cannes Yachting Festival.

The sea shuttle services will continue to run between the two ports, with several departure and arrival points on each side of the Croisette to make going from one port to the other very smooth and visiting the show easier.

“We are aware that these changes to the layout may impact how the presence of some of them at the Cannes Yachting Festival is organised, but we are confident in our ability to reinvent the show together and support boat builders in accommodating them. The successful transfer of the Sailing Area to Port Canto in 2019 proves that it is possible to move entire sectors between the two ports without affecting the show's quality,” concluded Filippo Rean.