Beyond the red carpet: 2026 Cannes Film Festival yacht charter

Every May, Cannes tips on its axis. The Croisette transforms into a theatre of colour, filled with Hollywood's best and brightest.

MARCH 2026 UPDATE: As of 17 March 2026, there are no longer any berths over 44 metres available in the Vieux Port, with Port Canto fully booked since earlier in the year. The deadline for the third and last commission in 6 April. There are a number of berths around 30-35 metres, but you’ll need to move fast. For yachts at anchor, there is a 220€ per day for tender passes in and out of the Vieux Port; it’s free in Port Canto. If you’re looking to secure a berth for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, contact us ASAP.

The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from 12 to 23 May 2026, and the city will accommodate roughly 35,000 industry professionals, press, and guests. It’s chaos, in the best way.

But somewhere, a little out of port in the sparkling Mediterranean, a considerably calmer version of all this will be unfolding on the water.

A Cannes Film Festival yacht charter isn’t merely an alternative to a hotel. For those who know, it’s the alternative. Private, mobile, and entirely on your terms—this is how the festival was always meant to be experienced.

Why choose a yacht over a Cannes hotel in 2026?

The case against hotels in Cannes during the festival is not really about the hotels themselves—some are genuinely beautiful, and very well set up to handle the very particular needs of Hollywood’s elite.

But in May, rooms are booked out months in advance, rates multiply, lobbies pack with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the glamorous rich and famous. The Croisette is gridlocked; restaurant reservations require connections or pure luck, usually both.

A superyacht charter in the Bay of Cannes sidesteps all of this. Your accommodation, your meeting room, your sundeck, and your dining room are moored metres away from the action, or anchored calmly away from it all, depending on your preference. You come and go on your schedule while your professional crew handles it all, everything from provisioning to tender transfers to the shore.

And at the end of a long day of screenings and soirées, you can unwind in a floating villa away from the chaos.

There’s also the view. Watching Cannes from the water as the city lights up after dark—Le Suquet glowing on the hillside, the Croisette stretching out below—is one of those sites that reminds you why the French Riviera has been inspiring people for as long as it has.

Corporate yacht charters: branding & networking on the water

For companies attending the festival on business, a static charter — a yacht that remains berthed in the Port of Cannes throughout the festival—functions as a floating venue. Production companies, streaming platforms, talent agencies, and brands with a presence in film and entertainment have used static charters in Cannes for years, and the reasons aren’t hard to understand.

A motor yacht at the Vieux Port is a private club, in effect. Meetings happen away from the noise of the Palais. Lunches are catered by your own chef. And the main show is just a short drive away.

Corporate yacht charters for events in Cannes typically require vessels of 30 metres or more for meaningful capacity, with yacht charter brokers matching clients to available inventory based on guest numbers, catering requirements, and berth preference.

For companies planning to use a charter as a networking or hospitality hub, the capacity guide below is a useful starting point:

• 25-35 metres: Up to 30 guests
• 35-50 metres: 30-60 guests
• 50-70 metres: 60-100 guests
• 70m+: 100+ guests

Note: capacities vary by vessel layout and local port regulations. Your broker will confirm.

Navigating the ports of Cannes: Vieux Port vs. Port Canto

There are two marinas in Cannes:

The Vieux Port sits at the heart of the festival

Steps from the Palais des Festivals and minutes from La Croisette, these berths are closest to the action and are, accordingly, the most sought after and expensive.

For high-profile static charters, for those who want to be seen—and those who want their guests to arrive feeling like they’ve arrived somewhere—the Vieux Port is the address. At the base of Le Suquet, the old quarter that watches over the whole circus from its hill, there is a certain poetry to it: old Cannes looking down at new Cannes, and your yacht looking back at both.

Berth availability here is extremely limited during the festival; vessels are typically locked in months in advance.

Port Canto is the quieter option

To the east along the bay, Port Canto is the more tranquil option. Larger superyachts that can’t fit in the Vieux Port tend to be found here, as do charterers who prefer a degree of distance from the intensity of the festival centre.

The tender ride into town takes roughly ten minutes, which is a small price for significantly more space and considerably more calm. For longer vessels—typically those above 50 metres—Port Canto is often the practical choice in any case, and its atmosphere suits those chartering for rest as much as business.

Both sit within the Bay of Cannes, with the Lérins Islands visible to the south. Both offer access to the same festival, so the decision is really about how much of the spectacle you want on your doorstep.

Logistics, fees, and the berth timeline

The single most important thing to know about chartering a yacht for Cannes 2026 is that the timeline is unforgiving.

Berths in the Vieux Port during the festival are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and demand consistently outpaces supply. The application process for festival berths is managed through the Port Authority; yacht charter brokers with established relationships in the port are invaluable here, navigating the paperwork and securing positions that would otherwise be impossible to obtain independently.

As a practical rule, if you’re chartering for the 2026 festival, you should have begun conversations with a broker already. If you haven’t, start now. Festival accreditations opened in February 2026, and the short film submission deadline falls on 2 March; the feature film deadline on 13 March. The charter market moves in parallel with the festival calendar, and the best inventory goes early.

Understanding the costs

Charter rates for the Cannes Film Festival period reflects the concentration of demand. A broad range for reference: €50,000 to €1,000,000+ per week, depending on the vessel’s size and specifications.

This is the base charter fee only.

To that figure, you should add:

VAT: Standard French VAT of 20% applies to charters in French waters

APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance): Typically 30-35% of the base charter fee, held in advance to cover running costs—fuel, provisions, port fees, crew gratuities, and so on. Unspent APA is returned at the end of charter.

Berth fees: During the festival, these are substantially higher than standard port rates, and vary by berth location and vessel size.

A note on the proposed 33% luxury tax: an amendment to France’s 2026 Finance Bill (French name) proposed a 33% VAT rate on yacht charters. Following significant industry opposition, the measure was withdrawn before becoming law. Standard 20% VAT applies for 2026, and France remains a competitive Mediterranean charter destination.

Beyond the red carpet: day trips & itineraries

One of the more compelling arguments for a Cannes Film Festival yacht charter is that the festival runs for 11 days, and no one attends every single screening and party.

The days in between are the perfect opportunity to cruise the Côte d’Azur.

The Lérins Islands

The obvious first escape is the tiny island chain fifteen minutes by tender from the port.

Ile Sainte-Marguerite and Ile Saint-Honorat offer easy hikes, a fortified monastery, and quiet you won’t find in Cannes proper. Lunch at beach club La Guérite is a non-negotiable—you’ll spot all the stars here.

Saint Tropez

The classic charter destination is an hour or so along the coast to the west. The town itself is charming in the morning before the crowds arrive, but the beach clubs beyond it are the point. Pampelonne Beach is the reference, with names like Club 55 and Nikki Beach drawing a crowd that wouldn’t look out of place on La Croisette.

Plan to anchor offshore and tender in; parking in Saint Tropez is painful no matter the time of year.

Monaco

Monaco sits to the east, a 40-minute passage along one of the most photographed coastlines in the world. The Monaco Grand Prix 2026 follows the film festival in late May, making the combination of the two events a natural charter itinerary for those who want to extend their time on the water.

The rest of the French Riviera

From the calanques near Marseille in the west to the Italian border in the east, the French Riviera rewards slow travel. An afternoon anchored in a pretty little bay you discovered yourself, with nobody else around, is often what people remember long after they’ve forgotten which films screened in the competition.

Your charter broker can help you put together the perfect itinerary.

Sample 2026 inventory

Moravia’s fleet for the 2026 Cannes season includes vessels from builders including Benetti, Feadship, and Sunseeker, ranging from day-charter-ready motor yachts to full-scale superyachts capable of hosting significant corporate events.

(Browse the full fleet.)

Availability during the festival window is allocated quickly. If you have a particular vessel, a berth preference, or a specific guest capacity in mind, the earlier that conversation happens, the more options remain open.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from 12 to 23 May 2026.

How much does a Cannes Film Festival yacht charter cost? Base charter rates typically range from 50,000 to 1,000,000+ per week, depending on the size and specs of the vessel. French VAT at 20% applies, along with an Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA) of approximately 30-35% of the base rate, and festival-period berth fees. A charter broker will provide a full cost breakdown based on your specific requirements.

What is a static charter? A static charter is a yacht that remains berthed for the duration of the charter, used as a private venue rather than for cruising. Static charters are popular for corporate hospitality, client entertainment, and brand activations during events in Cannes.

How far in advance do I need to book? For the best berth positions and the widest choice of vessels, bookings ideally happen six months or more before the festival. For Cannes 2026, there are few berths still available, so contact us as soon as possible.

Do I need festival accreditation to charter a yacht? No—you don’t need accreditation to charter a yacht during the festival period. Accreditation is required to access official festival screenings and events; your charter is entirely independent of this.

Ready to be on the water for Cannes 2026?

Thinking about what a festival charter might look like for you—or your clients? Get in touch with the Moravia team, and we’ll find the right vessel, the right berth, and the right plan for what you have in mind.

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