It was a very strong outing this year.
The Cannes Yachting Festival 2025 delivered on its reputation while pushing a few boundaries.
Here’s what stood out, what impressed, and a few thoughts on where it could go from here:
What worked really well.
More Superyachts & Premieres
There’s definitely been an upward trend in larger, more ambitious yachts. This year nearly 119 superyachts were present, including 104 debuts.
Also, many world premieres, especially in the 24-metre plus class, drew a lot of attention.
Diversity of Vessels & Focus on Catamarans
The show was busy across the board: high‐end motor yachts, sailing yachts, multihulls, explorers.
Sustainability Becomes Less of a “Nice-to-Have”
Many of the new boats exhibit eco-features, whether in materials, hybrid/alternative fuels, solar integration, or improved efficiency. It’s not just marketing people are investing.
Good Organisation & Visitor Experience
The layout across Vieux Port and Port Canto, with distinct zones (motor vs sailing, brokerage, tenders & toys, etc.), helps make the show more navigable. Hospitality, signage, and transitions between exhibits seem better thought out.
Toys, Extras & Lifestyle Appeal
It’s not just yachts — tenders, water toys, gadgets, luxury lifestyle accessories are a big draw. For many visitors this is part of the fun, seeing what innovations are coming, what can make life aboard more interesting.
Areas for improvement / what to watch out for
Cost & Accessibility
With more premieres and bigger yachts, things tend to skew luxury — which is fine for the core audience, but it makes it harder for newcomers, hobbyists, or smaller boat owners to feel included sometimes.
Environmental Pressure
Alongside the encouragement of green technology, the scale of these events has environmental impacts (transport, waste, fuel usage etc.). There’s still more to be done in ensuring the show itself is as sustainable as the vessels it showcases.
Overcrowding & Logistics
When you have 700+ boats (from ~5 to 50 m) displayed, with tens of thousands of visitors, crowding, bottlenecks, and the difficulty of seeing everything can be a problem.
Balancing Glitz vs Practical Innovation
Some launches are more about glamour than usability. It would be great to see more focus on practical, affordable innovations: truly efficient propulsion, low maintenance, off-grid capability, etc.
Trends & what I expect going forward
Further pushes toward hybrid / electric / solar systems.
More crossover & explorer-style yachts (vessels that can go further, into more remote regions).
Increased customisation and modular design so owners can adapt yachts for different uses (charter, private, adventure cruising etc.).
Possibly stronger regulation or expectations for the show itself around sustainability (carbon offset, waste reduction, etc.).
