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Genoa Boat Show 2026: Five Weeks Out, Here's What Crew and Captains Need to Book Now

Event Desk Updated

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The 66th Genoa International Boat Show runs from 1 to 6 October 2026, back at its traditional autumn slot on Genoa's Levante waterfront 1. Six days this time, not nine.

If you're prepping a boat for delivery, coordinating crew changeovers, or trying to get your management team on the ground for the right days, five weeks is enough time to do it properly. That's only true if you start now, though.

Whats actually new this year

The headline change is the venue itself. Construction on the Waterfront di Levante is finished and the new Palasport Pavilion is open, which changes the layout of the whole site 2. Expect a different walk pattern through the halls if you've been before. The new Waterfront di Levante venue was designed by Renzo Piano, and the on-water setting puts the superyacht dock a short walk from the sea trial departure point 4.

The 66th edition increases total exhibition space and strengthens the presence of yachts over 24 metres, though the organiser hasn't published the exact square-metre increase 7. For crew and fleet managers, that means more to see on the superyacht docks specifically, and less need to cross the whole site to find comparable tonnage.

TechTrade Days, the B2B format for components, equipment and systems suppliers, returns for its second year, scheduled for 1 and 2 October, the opening two days of the show 8. If your refit list includes anything technical, electronics or coatings, ring-fence those two days before the general public arrives.

On 2 October, Genoa hosts the fifth World Yachting Sustainability Forum, built around sustainability, regulatory developments, innovation and competitiveness, with industry representatives, institutions and international stakeholders on the panels 9. Worth diarising if you're advising owners on refit specs, especially with emissions and waste rules tightening.

Booking deadlines: berths, crew passes, tickets, accreditation

Exhibitor registration for the 66th edition opened on 19 February 2026, so most yard and supplier stands are now allocated. If your company hasn't registered a stand and wants one, contact the organiser immediately. There's no late-booking route advertised.

Berths inside the show marina, and any berth or lift-out slot tied to your vessel's presence at the event, need confirming with the show's marina office well ahead of arrival. The organiser hasn't published a public cut-off date for this cycle, so treat it as first come, first served. Get the request in writing now rather than waiting for a deadline that may not appear.

Here's what you're working with for crew passes, tickets and accreditation:

  • General admission: 23 euros online plus a 1 euro booking fee, or 28 euros at the on-site box office 5.
  • Under-25 tickets: 13 euros, proof of identity required.
  • Press accreditation is mandatory and available exclusively online at www.salonenautico.com 6, valid throughout the event. For 2025 it opened 15 July 10. Expect a similar window this year, though the exact 2026 date isn't confirmed yet.
  • Same-day exit and re-entry: allowed throughout the day, useful if you're splitting time between the show and a berth or delivery elsewhere in the port.
  • Crew and staff passes for vessels on display come through the exhibiting yard or broker, not the show box office. Get your name on that list as soon as the vessel's berth is confirmed. Yards typically cap the number of passes per boat, so don't leave this one late.

Tickets sell fastest in the final fortnight. Don't leave group bookings for a management company or crew team until show week itself.

One practical tip: coordinate transfers, provisioning runs and crew changeovers around the port's build week, which starts several days before 1 October and brings heavier traffic through the gates than the show itself.

Pre-show checklist for boats and crew

If you're bringing a vessel to Genoa, or sending crew to represent one on someone else's dock, the basics haven't changed even if the venue has:

  • Confirm berth allocation and access windows with the show's marina team well before arrival. The new Waterfront di Levante layout means approach routes and lift-out points may differ from previous years.
  • Check documentation: crew lists, flag state papers, insurance certificates and any port-specific paperwork. Build in time for Italian customs and port authority checks, which can run slower during the show's build week when traffic into the port is heavier.
  • Schedule crew rotations around the two busiest days. TechTrade Days (1 and 2 October) draw a more B2B-focused crowd than the weekend, so plan staffing accordingly.
  • Book accommodation and transfers now. Genoa's hotel stock fills fast during show week and rates rise sharply in the final month.
  • Confirm sea trial slots directly with the yard or broker showing the boat, not through the show organiser. Visitors may book boat visits by reserving directly with the relevant yards 3. Slots for popular yards go early.

Who should prioritise what on the ground

The show keeps its five-section format: Yacht & Superyacht for the high-end segment, Boating Discovery for smaller boats, Sailing World for sailing enthusiasts, TechTrade for components and accessories, and Living the Sea, the experiential area given over to life on the water.

For captains and fleet managers, here's where to spend your time:

  • Yachts & Superyachts, for direct comparison against your own vessel's spec, given the expanded superyacht footprint and stronger presence of 24-metre-plus boats this year 7.
  • TechTrade, for refit suppliers, especially if you're speccing winter works and want face time with component manufacturers before Q4 order books fill up.
  • Sailing World, if you're crewing a sailing yacht or managing a mixed fleet. Smaller specialist builders tend to cluster here rather than in the main superyacht halls.

Last year's edition drew 124,248 visitors, over 1,000 boats on display, and 4,050 sea trials, an increase on 2024 11. Plan your route through the halls in advance rather than trying to cover everything on one pass.

The bottom line

Five weeks out, the moves are simple even if the venue isn't. Book berths and hotels now. Confirm sea trial slots directly with yards. Build your show-week schedule around TechTrade Days if refit sourcing is the priority. The new layout rewards crew who plan their route in advance, and it punishes anyone turning up hoping to work it out on the day.

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