Thirty days. That’s all that’s left before the biggest week on Fort Lauderdale’s waterfront calendar.
The 67th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show opens Wednesday, Oct. 28, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, across six waterfront venues. Last year it drew more than 100,000 visitors. This year it puts more than 1,300 boats in the water, and FLIBS puts its economic impact at $1.79 billion.
We’ve been on those docks with cameras for years. We’ve shot the Superyacht Village at golden hour, the crews detailing hulls before the gates open, the chefs in the hospitality tents, and the exhibitors who fly in from Fiji to Boca Raton. This is the countdown: what’s new for 2026, what to lock in this month, and the dates that land before the show itself.
The show in one table
| FLIBS 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Wed, Oct. 28 – Sun, Nov. 1, 2026 |
| Hours | Wed 12pm–7pm · Thu–Sat 10am–7pm · Sun 10am–5pm |
| Venues | Broward County Convention Center, Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Marina, Pier Sixty-Six Marina, Superyacht Village |
| Tickets | From $48 (1-day general admission) · Wednesday Preview $73 · Windward VIP $459 · kids 6–12 $19, under 6 free |
| Box office | None. Every ticket is bought online, in advance. |
| Getting around | $20/day parking at the Convention Center · free shuttles and golf carts · water taxi $15/day |
Full prices, hours and a venue-by-venue plan are in our FLIBS 2026 guide.
What’s new for 2026
- The Windward VIP Cabana Club moves to Bahia Mar. Windward VIP now has two homes: the lounge at the Superyacht Village and the relocated cabana club at Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
- Two celebrity chefs are on the VIP menu. Chef Ryan O’Sullivan of Hell’s Kitchen and Chef Dave White of Below Deck are cooking for the Windward experience.
- A floating pickleball court. It’s at Las Olas Marina, with tournament play for yacht crew. Yes, really.
- Pier Sixty-Six North has been reimagined for brokerage vessels over 100 feet. The Superyacht Village is next door at Pier Sixty-Six South.
Your 30-day countdown
This week: lock in the basics
- Buy tickets online now. There is no box office, and this is the mistake that ruins more boat show days than any other.
- Pick your days. Thursday and Friday are the easiest going. Wednesday is the quieter preview day, and the $73 Preview ticket is good for any single day of the show. Sunday closes at 5pm, two hours early.
- Active military and veterans get a free one-day general admission ticket. Request it online before you go.
Early October: the crew and trade calendar starts
- Tue, Oct. 6: IYBA Charter Seminar & Open House at Bahia Mar. Register here.
- Mid-October: the party dates start landing. Most crew nights and brokerage receptions are announced two to three weeks before the show. The Yacht Bikers Poker Run, run by National Marine Suppliers, usually falls on a Saturday about ten days before the show.
Show week: the black-tie nights
- Wed, Oct. 28: International Superyacht Society Design & Leadership Awards Gala at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets.
- Thu, Oct. 29: SeaKeepers Founders Event at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets and tables.
We’re tracking every one of these as it’s announced: Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Parties 2026.
What we’ve seen on the docks
The boats are the headline. The people are the story. From past shows, our cameras have caught:
- Fiji’s cultural performers at the Tourism Fiji booth
- Restored brass binoculars at Luxx Optica
- Gyro stabilizer demonstrations at QuickUSA
- The Triton crew tent
- The chefs of the Oasis lounge
- The General Boat Services team hand-detailing a yacht before the gates opened
Our 60-second countdown reel pulls the best of it together. We’ll be back on the docks for all five days this year.
See you on the docks
Thirty days out, the smart moves are simple:
- Buy your tickets online.
- Choose your venues before you arrive.
- Park once at the Convention Center.
- Take the water taxi between the marinas.
Everything else, from tickets and venue maps to the official schedule, is at flibs.com.
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Show figures as published by FLIBS at flibs.com: 1,300+ boats, 100,000+ visitors in 2025, $1.79 billion economic impact. Prices and times as published by the organizers on Sept. 29, 2026; confirm before you book. Citywide.TV covers tech, business, marine and music across South Florida and the Mid-Atlantic.