Cannes hosts twelve major international congresses and events between February and December, and Monaco adds its Grand Prix in June. Each one fills the hotels, restaurants and port berths. If you plan to use a yacht for client hospitality, team events or dockside branding, timing is everything.
Here is the calendar. Dates shift slightly each year. Booking windows do not.
IPEM (February)
Private equity and venture capital conference. Three days at the Palais des Festivals.
Smaller than MIPIM or Cannes Lions but the audience is senior. Yacht events tend to be intimate dinners for 10 to 20 guests rather than large receptions.
Book 3 to 4 months ahead.
WAICF (February)
World AI Cannes Festival. Two days at the Palais des Festivals.
WAICF is the newest major congress on the Cannes calendar. Yacht demand is still building but growing year on year as the tech sector discovers the format.
Book 2 to 3 months ahead.
Canneseries (February)
The international series festival of Cannes. The 10th edition takes place in February 2027 at the Palais des Festivals.
A good moment for a private dinner or a reception on board for producers, platforms and talent in town for the festival.
Contact us as early as possible.
MIPIM (March)
The world’s largest real estate exhibition. MIPIM 2026 welcomed about 20,000 participants from 90 countries, according to organizer RX France. Runs four days at the Palais des Festivals.
Yacht demand is high. MIPIM delegates have used dockside yachts for meetings and evening receptions since the early 2000s. Berths in the Vieux Port fill months in advance.
Book 6 to 9 months ahead. Berth allocation at the Vieux Port requires MIPIM registration.
EthCC (April)
The European Ethereum community conference, held at the Palais des Festivals. Cannes is confirmed as host until 2028, and the 2027 edition takes place in April.
A web3 audience that likes informal settings. A yacht works well for private dinners and side events away from the main venue.
Contact us as early as possible.
Festival de Cannes (May)
The film industry’s flagship event. In 2025, the Festival counted 16,087 industry professionals and 4,229 journalists, according to the FIAPF database. It runs 12 days.
Yacht charters during the Festival split into two categories: corporate hospitality (brand activations, press events) and private day charters for guests wanting to escape the Croisette crowds.
Book 4 to 6 months ahead for dockside. Day charters book faster, 2 to 3 months is usually enough.
Datacloud Global Congress (June)
The deal-making congress for data center, AI infrastructure and power executives. The 2026 edition welcomed participants from more than 82 countries, according to the organizer techoraco. The 2027 edition runs from 2 to 4 June at the Palais des Festivals.
Meetings, working lunches and evening receptions on board give delegates a quiet place to talk business.
Contact us as early as possible.
Monaco Grand Prix (June)
The Formula 1 race in Monaco. The 2027 race weekend runs from 4 to 6 June, with the race on Sunday 6 June, according to the published F1 calendar. It is a sprint weekend for the first time.
Monaco is not in Cannes, but we arrange yacht hospitality for the race weekend from our base in Cannes. Contact us with your dates and group size.
Contact us as early as possible.
Cannes Lions (June)
The global advertising and creative communications festival. In 2025, Cannes Lions received 26,900 award entries from 96 markets, according to the festival organizers. It runs Monday to Friday.
Cannes Lions is the most active congress week for yacht charters after MIPIM. Agency holding groups, tech platforms and media companies host clients on board. Dockside yachts at the Vieux Port double as meeting rooms and event spaces.
Book 6 to 9 months ahead for dockside with branding. 3 months for day charters.
MIPCOM (October)
The global entertainment content market. MIPCOM Cannes 2025 gathered just over 10,600 delegates from 107 countries, including 3,340 buyers, according to organizer RX. Four days at the Palais des Festivals.
MIPCOM yacht events often mirror Cannes Lions in format, with dockside receptions and branded experiences at a slightly smaller scale.
Book 3 to 4 months ahead.
TFWA (October)
The duty-free and travel retail industry’s main event. The 2025 edition set a record with 7,999 visitors and 482 exhibiting companies, according to TFWA. Runs five days at the Palais des Festivals.
The travel retail sector treats yacht hospitality as standard practice during this week. Dockside berthing and day charters both book heavily.
Book 4 to 6 months ahead. See our TFWA yacht charter page for logistics and layout options.
MAPIC (November)
International retail property market conference. The organizers expect about 4,000 participants from 75 countries. Two days at the Palais des Festivals.
Yacht demand during MAPIC is moderate. Availability is generally better than spring congresses.
Book 2 to 3 months ahead.
ILTM Cannes (late November to early December)
The luxury travel trade show. Four days at the Palais des Festivals, from 30 November to 3 December 2026.
ILTM delegates work in luxury hospitality. They know what a good yacht experience looks like. This is a week where service quality matters more than yacht size.
Book 2 to 3 months ahead.
The booking rule
Simple version: the bigger the congress, the earlier you book. For MIPIM and Cannes Lions, six months minimum. For mid-size events, three months is usually safe. For all of them, earlier is cheaper.
Need a yacht for an upcoming congress? Contact Ocean Five at charter@ocean5yachts.com with your dates and group size.
Last updated: October 2026
