Brands planning to charter a yacht at Cannes Lions 2027 may need to move considerably earlier than usual, as ongoing redevelopment of Cannes’ Vieux Port is expected to leave an exceptionally limited number of suitable berths available during the festival.
Cannes Lions returns from 21–25 June 2027, bringing the world’s advertising, technology, media and creative industries back to the Croisette. For many of the largest companies attending, the yachts moored alongside the Palais des Festivals have become an important part of the week — serving as private meeting spaces, hospitality venues, content studios and highly visible brand headquarters.
For 2027, however, demand is likely to collide with an unusual constraint: space.
Major works are transforming the Vieux Port, including significant changes around the Jetée Albert Édouard, the stretch of harbour immediately beside the Palais that has become synonymous with “Yacht Row” during Cannes Lions.
Bespoke Yacht Charter, which specialises in yacht charters for Cannes’ major international events, expects availability to be particularly tight for the 2027 festival. Based on current demand and conversations already taking place with returning clients, the company believes that if the yachts and brands present in 2026 simply repeat their bookings, there could be very few suitable berths left for newcomers.
That makes early planning unusually important.
“The situation for 2027 is quite different from a normal Cannes Lions year,” says Rachel Coles, Senior Charter Broker at Bespoke Yacht Charter. “We already know that a large proportion of clients want to return, but the number of berths available to the type of yachts used for Lions is extremely restricted. If the 2026 clients rebook, there may be very little capacity remaining.”
Coles has arranged more than 75 yacht charters specifically for Cannes Lions during her career, giving her an unusually detailed understanding of an event where securing the yacht is only one part of the equation.
Berthing applications, yacht dimensions, guest capacity, catering, branding, security, technical requirements and the constant movement of guests and suppliers all have to work together. A yacht that looks ideal on paper is not necessarily the right platform for a five-day corporate programme in Cannes.
That experience is particularly valuable in a year when clients may have fewer options.
Bespoke Yacht Charter is consequently advising companies considering a Cannes Lions yacht charter for 2027 to begin discussions significantly earlier than they might have done in previous years. Waiting until the traditional booking period could mean that an otherwise suitable yacht cannot be positioned in the Vieux Port.
2028 Could Be a Very Different Story
The constraints surrounding 2027 should not, however, be mistaken for the port’s long-term direction.
The redevelopment represents a major investment in the future of Cannes as a yachting destination. Once the programme is complete, the expanded Jetée Albert Édouard is expected to create nine additional berths capable of accommodating vessels of up to 75 metres.
For Cannes Lions, that could be transformative.
Larger yachts offer brands considerably more flexibility for conferences, presentations, content production and evening receptions, while additional berthing capacity should allow more companies to establish a presence directly in the harbour.
In other words, 2027 looks set to be a transitional and highly competitive year. By Cannes Lions 2028, the picture should be substantially different, with the redeveloped port opening up possibilities that simply do not exist today.
“The long-term outlook is incredibly exciting,” adds Coles. “Once the new infrastructure is fully available, Cannes should be able to welcome more yachts and significantly larger vessels. For brands, that creates a whole new level of opportunity in terms of the scale and ambition of what can be hosted onboard.”
For now, though, the message for Cannes Lions 2027 is straightforward: companies that consider a yacht central to their hospitality or brand strategy should not assume that a suitable berth will still be available closer to the festival.
With more than 75 successful Cannes Lions yacht charters arranged by Rachel Coles and extensive experience managing the complexities of event charters in Cannes, Bespoke Yacht Charter is already working with returning and new clients on their plans for June 2027.
For a festival built around creativity, competition and being noticed, next year’s most valuable luxury may turn out to be something rather more practical: a berth.
