Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show: Our 2026 Guide

FLIBS 2026 at a glance: dates, hours, and what to expect

Here's the 2026 edition on paper. Fair warning: the numbers are absurd.

Detail	Info
Event	67th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS)
Dates	October 28 – November 1, 2026 (5 days)
Location	Fort Lauderdale, FL — 7 waterfront venues
Scale	~90 acres · 3M+ sq ft of exhibit space
Attendance	100,000+ attendees · 1,000 exhibitors from 52 countries (2022 official figures; 2026 expected to be comparable)
Boats on display	1,300+ (superyachts to personal watercraft)
Owned by	Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) · Produced by Informa Markets

Over three million square feet of exhibit space — roughly 50 football fields dedicated entirely to boats, gear, and the lifestyle around them. No other in-water show comes close.

2026 dates, hours & schedule

The 2026 edition runs Wednesday, October 28 through Sunday, November 1. Five full days to explore, compare, negotiate, and fall for your dream boat. Here's the daily breakdown:

Date	Hours	Notes
Wednesday, Oct 28	12 PM – 7 PM	Preview Day — fewer crowds, ideal for serious buyers
Thursday, Oct 29	10 AM – 7 PM	Full day, manageable crowds
Friday, Oct 30	10 AM – 7 PM	Attendance builds toward the weekend
Saturday, Oct 31	10 AM – 7 PM	Busiest day — and Halloween in 2026
Sunday, Nov 1	10 AM – 5 PM	Shortest day; arrive early

Saturday draws the largest crowds, which means longer water taxi lines, busier walkways, and less time with sales reps. If Saturday is your only option, be at the gates when they open at 10 AM.

What to expect at the show

This isn't a local boat show in a convention hall parking lot. FLIBS stretches across seven waterfront venues throughout the city. You travel between them by shuttle and golf cart — both complimentary with your ticket — or by water taxi ($15/day, $65 for five days, included with a Windward VIP pass).

Here's what's waiting:

• Superyachts and megayachts — world premieres, brokerage listings, and boats large enough to redefine the word
• Fishing boats, runabouts, and cruisers — the workhorses of recreational boating, in every size and configuration
• Personal watercraft — Jet Skis, WaveRunners, and everything built for speed on the water
• Tenders and toys — the gear that turns a good yacht into a great one
• Electronics and accessories — navigation, fish finders, audio, and the latest onboard tech
• Fishing and diving equipment — rods, reels, tackle, wetsuits, and everything in between
• Exotic cars — at the Superyacht Village, because why not
• Lifestyle products — as the organizers put it, "from superyachts to sunglasses and everything in between"

The atmosphere is a blend of serious commerce and genuine celebration. Families exploring center consoles alongside buyers touring 200-foot megayachts, engines running, champagne at the Superyacht Village, and constant conversation about hull designs and horsepower.

With over 1,000 exhibitors from 52 countries and more than 100,000 attendees expected, this is a global event. And you can board many of the boats on display — step inside, sit at the helm, see the craftsmanship up close. Just ask the exhibitor first, and note that most superyachts require a pre-booked appointment with a broker.

The seven venues across Fort Lauderdale

One thing that makes FLIBS unusual is its layout. Instead of one massive hall, the show spreads across seven waterfront venues — and a single ticket gets you into all of them.

1. Bahia Mar Yachting Center

The heart of the show and its main venue, running from center consoles to superyachts, plus accessories and electronics. Expect the biggest crowds and the most impressive in-water displays. The docks at Bahia Mar have anchored this show for decades.

2. Hall of Fame Marina

Another major hub, and the new home of the Windward VIP Club in a newly expanded space — premium open bar, gourmet food, luxury pop-ups and private restrooms for Windward ticket holders. Brokerage and new-build yachts line these docks.

3. Las Olas Marina

A wide selection of brokerage yachts from 60 to 200 feet, positioned near Las Olas Boulevard — the city's main dining and nightlife strip. After a long stretch on the docks, being steps from a good restaurant matters.

4. Superyacht Village at Pier Sixty-Six South

Where things get aspirational. This venue is dedicated to the biggest and most luxurious boats at the show. Board large yachts, meet builders, explore tenders and toys, browse exotic cars. There's a bar overlooking the docks, and with a late-October sunset around 6:40 PM, the last half-hour before the 7 PM close is the best light of the day (Wednesday through Saturday only). If you only have time for one venue beyond the main site, make it this one.

5. Pier Sixty-Six Marina

Adjacent to the Pier Sixty-Six Resort, one of the city's landmark waterfront properties. Brokerage yachts of 100 feet and up. The resort reopened in January 2025 after a major rebuild, and its 164-slip superyacht marina makes a serious backdrop.

6. Broward County Convention Center

The practical backbone of the show and its main transportation hub, which makes it the smartest place to start. Inside: boats up to 50 feet, marine accessories, electronics, retail, seminars, and the AquaZone hands-on watersports attraction. It also has the largest parking area, with 3,000 spaces — park here and take a free shuttle to Bahia Mar or the Superyacht Village, or the water taxi to the other marinas.

7. 17th Street Yacht Basin

Near the Boatyard Restaurant, this basin rounds out the seven venues. A quiet enclave for superyachts 100 feet and up — the calmest place at the show to look at the biggest boats. Note that no shuttle or water taxi route serves it directly; it's a short walk from the Convention Center side.

Tickets, boat debuts, and exhibitor brands

Your ticket is an all-access pass to all seven venues, the complimentary shuttles and golf carts that connect them, and every boat on display. Genuinely good value for the scale of what you'll see.

General admission tickets

2026 prices are live: $70 for the Wednesday Preview, $77 for a two-day pass (Thursday–Sunday), $100 for two days plus Preview, and $439 for the Windward VIP, valid for one day. What else to know:

• One ticket covers all seven venues — no separate fees per site
• Online only. There's no box office at the show. Your digital ticket is scanned at the gate, so buy before you travel.
• Free admission for military — active-duty service members and veterans get complimentary one-day general admission on any show day. Request it in advance through the official site to skip delays, or register on site with your Military ID at any entrance. The offer covers you only, not family or friends.
• Children under 6 enter free with a ticketed adult. Confirm current age tiers on flibs.com before you buy.

Windward VIP

The premium tier includes:

• Valid for one day — any single day, Wednesday through Sunday, including Preview Day
• Early entry to the show and the Superyacht Village, before the crowds
• Complimentary self-parking at the Superyacht Village — first-come, first-served, and it can fill on busy days
• The Windward VIP lounge — premium open bar, gourmet food, private restrooms
• Luxury brand activations not available with general admission
• Complimentary shuttle and water taxi service
• Full entry to every venue

New boat & yacht debuts to watch in 2026

One of the biggest draws is seeing brand-new models before anyone else. FLIBS has become the premier global stage for world premieres and North American debuts.

The full 2026 lineup won't be confirmed until closer to the dates, but here's what consistently makes this show the launchpad of choice:

• Superyacht world premieres — major builders from Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the US routinely unveil flagship models here. The Superyacht Village is ground zero.
• Performance fishing boats — Fort Lauderdale's sportfishing roots mean breakthrough center consoles and offshore platforms from top brands.
• Luxury cruiser launches — new models with innovations in hybrid propulsion, open layouts and onboard technology.
• Tender and toy unveilings — often as impressive as the yachts they support. Watch for new electric tenders and high-performance inflatables.
• Electronics — the Convention Center is where you'll find the latest chartplotters, radar, underwater drones and connected systems.

Exhibitor brands & featured manufacturers

With over 1,000 exhibitors from 52 countries, the diversity on display is staggering — boutique custom builders alongside global technology companies.

The final 2026 lineup is still being confirmed, but expect representation across these categories:

• Superyacht and luxury builders — Azimut, Benetti, Ferretti, Lürssen, Sunseeker, Princess, Viking and more
• Performance and fishing brands — Boston Whaler, Yellowfin, HCB Yachts, Regulator, Contender, Pursuit and dozens of others
• Pontoon and recreational makers — good ground for first-time buyers
• Electronics manufacturers — Garmin, Raymarine, Simrad and emerging startups
• Engine and propulsion companies — Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, Volvo Penta, plus the growing electric sector
• Accessories and lifestyle brands — premium audio through high-end apparel

The advantage of a show this size is comparing dozens of competing models side by side in an afternoon — work that would otherwise take weeks of dealer appointments.

Review the exhibitor directory on flibs.com once it goes live, note the brands you need to see and their slip numbers, and build a route that minimises backtracking. Your feet will thank you.

Parking, transportation, and insider tips

Moving 100,000 people through a handful of causeways over five days is exactly as messy as it sounds. But the show's transport system is genuinely good, and the whole thing comes down to one decision: where you leave the car on day one.

Where to park

The official answer, and the right one, is the Broward County Convention Center at 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard. Over 3,000 spaces at a flat $20 per day, and it doubles as the show's transportation hub. Park once, then ride the complimentary shuttles and golf carts — or the water taxi at $15 a day — out to every other venue.

If the Convention Center is full

Three thousand spaces sounds like a lot until you count the visitors. On Saturday in particular — which in 2026 is also Halloween — arriving at midday and expecting a space is optimistic. Get there within an hour of opening and it's rarely an issue.

If it is, FLIBS publishes a list of participating garages across the city, all taking payment through the PayByPhone app. These are the ones worth driving to:

Garage	Address	Good for
17th Street Yacht Basin	1881 SE 17th St	Closest to the superyacht docks; walk-up venue
Superyacht Village at Pier 66 South	2150 SE 17th St	Valet available; drops you at the best venue on site
Las Olas Marina Garage	240 Las Olas Circle	Parking at a venue, steps from the water taxi
Beach Place	17 S Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd	Beach-side backup, short ride to Bahia Mar
Galleria Mall	2414 E Sunrise Blvd	Valet available; on the water taxi line
Riverside Hotel Garage	620 E Las Olas Blvd	Water taxi stop and Brightline shuttle terminus
Brightline Station Garage	101 NW 2nd Ave	Downtown, with the free Red Route shuttle to Las Olas

To pay, download PayByPhone on iOS or Android before you travel, or call 1-888-680-7275. Setting it up in the queue at the barrier is nobody's idea of a good start.

Skip the car entirely: take the Brightline

If you're coming from anywhere along the corridor, this is the best transport decision available. Board the Brightline express at Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach or Orlando, ride to Fort Lauderdale station, then take the free Red Route shuttle to the Riverside Hotel on Las Olas. From there the water taxi runs straight to Bahia Mar for $15 a day.

No traffic, no parking, no circling blocks at 9:45 AM. You arrive relaxed — and you can have a drink at the Superyacht Village bar without doing arithmetic about the drive home.

Getting between the venues

• Shuttles and golf carts — complimentary with your ticket, looping between the Convention Center, Bahia Mar and the Superyacht Village.
• Water taxi — the signature ride and the prettiest way to travel. Serves Bahia Mar, the Convention Center, Pier Sixty-Six Marina and Las Olas Marina. $15 for one day, $65 for five, included with a Windward VIP ticket. Runs from an hour before the show opens to an hour after it closes.
• On foot — Hall of Fame Marina and the 17th Street Yacht Basin aren't on any shuttle or water taxi route. Both are short walks, but plan for them rather than waiting at a stop that will never come.

Whichever you use, you won't need to move the car again until you leave. That's the entire point of parking once and parking early.

Buying a boat or equipment, plus seminars and events

Can you actually buy at the show? Absolutely. For many buyers, FLIBS is one of the strongest buying windows of the year.

Why buy at the show

Manufacturers and dealers arrive prepared to make deals. They've invested heavily in transport, setup and staffing, and they want to leave with signed contracts. That creates a favourable environment:

• Show pricing — many exhibitors bring show-specific discounts, package deals or financing incentives. Ask what's tied to the show and what isn't.
• Loaded demo boats — the boats on display are typically fully equipped with every option. What you see is the best version of that model, and exhibitors are often willing to negotiate on the demo unit itself.
• Side-by-side comparison — walk from a Boston Whaler to a Yellowfin in two minutes and compare them the same afternoon.
• Direct contact with builders and engineers — many brands bring their design teams and leadership, so you can ask technical questions no brochure answers.

How to shop smart

• Ask about incentives directly. "What's the best you can do?" is a normal question. Sales reps expect it.
• Clarify standard versus upgraded. The models on display are fully loaded — make sure you know the base price and what each upgrade costs.
• Take photos and notes. After a dozen boats they blend together. Record the model, key features, quoted price and the rep's contact details.
• Don't feel pressured to commit on the spot. Reputable dealers give you a reasonable window. A good deal today should still be a good deal tomorrow morning.
• Bring your financing pre-approval. It gives you leverage and speeds everything up.

Whether you're looking at a $30,000 center console or a $3 million yacht, the show is a good environment for an informed decision. Take your time and enjoy the process.

Seminars, events & entertainment

FLIBS is more than boats on docks. The programme of seminars, clinics and entertainment turns a visit into a full day.

Educational programming

The Convention Center is the hub for educational content. Past years have featured:

• Fishing clinics — led by professional anglers and charter captains, covering offshore, inshore and fly fishing in South Florida waters
• Safety seminars — navigation rules, weather awareness and emergency procedures, essential for new owners
• Technology talks — deep dives into electronics, propulsion and connected systems
• Ownership workshops — the financial, legal and practical side of buying and maintaining a boat
• Sustainability panels — clean technology, alternative fuels and conservation in the marine industry

Entertainment and lifestyle

Beyond the seminars, there's live music at select venues, brand activations, and the Superyacht Village bar overlooking the docks. The energy peaks in the late afternoon when golden-hour light hits the waterfront and the whole place takes on a festival feel.

The seminar lineup is live on flibs.com and grows through the fall. Captain Don Dingman's kids fishing clinics are already scheduled: Saturday and Sunday, 12 PM and 2 PM on the seminar stage.

Where to stay and eat near the boat show

Where you stay shapes a five-day boat show more than most visitors expect — and the deciding factor isn't distance, it's what your evenings look like.

Hotels on Fort Lauderdale Beach

The options are genuinely impressive. A row of oceanfront resorts lines the beach with rooftop bars, full spas and the kind of service that suits the occasion. If you want a full-service resort at the end of each day, they deliver exactly that.

Two things are worth knowing before you book, and they're structural rather than a knock on any property:

• Demand is at its highest. Show week is one of the busiest of the Fort Lauderdale autumn, so rates and minimum-stay requirements reflect that across the city. Book early wherever you land.
• Only two properties actually sit on a show venue. The hotel whose own docks host the 17th Street Yacht Basin, and Pier Sixty-Six, which hosts both Pier Sixty-Six Marina and the Superyacht Village. Everywhere else in the city involves a transfer of some kind — a car, a rideshare or a shuttle.

The insider move: base yourself in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Here's the part that reframes the whole decision: you're taking a shuttle or a water taxi between venues anyway. FLIBS spreads across seven sites linked by boats and golf carts — nobody walks this show. Once your day is built around the show's own transport system, the twenty minutes it takes to reach the first venue in the morning stops being the deciding factor.

A few minutes north, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a low-rise beach village built around a fishing pier, with its restaurants, shops and bars packed into two or three walkable blocks. It sits roughly six miles up A1A from Bahia Mar and about eight from the Convention Center — a straight coastal run of about twenty minutes outside peak traffic.

And there's a Water Taxi stop in the village

Almost no boat show guide mentions this. The Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi runs a stop right in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea — stop P3, at Blue Moon Fish Co. on West Tradewinds Avenue. Connect at Shooters Waterfront and the line carries you down to Marina Village and Bahia Mar, the show's main venue.

So you can arrive at FLIBS by boat, from your own neighbourhood, past the Intracoastal's most spectacular waterfront homes and megayachts on their private docks — the same scenery visitors pay $38 a head to see on the sightseeing loop. It's a leisurely ride rather than a quick hop, so save it for a day you aren't racing the clock and drive down when you're on a schedule. Either way, walking home from dinner afterwards is a fair reward.

What basing yourself here buys you during show week:

• Rates set by the normal market. Six miles north, pricing behaves the way it does the rest of the autumn — a difference that compounds across a five-day stay.
• Free parking. You're driving to the show either way, so keep the car for nothing and put the $20 toward Convention Center parking instead.
• Dinner without a reservation booked in September. The most underrated advantage of the whole strategy — more on that below.
• Genuine quiet. The show is loud and relentless for five straight days. Coming back to a beach village rather than the cruise-port corridor is the difference between a trip and an endurance event.

Blue Strawberry by the Sea

Booking strategy

Wherever you land, book now rather than later. Rooms near the venues thin out through September as trade visitors finalise their travel.

If you're attending as a buyer with back-to-back dock appointments, one of the two properties hosting a venue is worth the premium — treat it as a business expense. For everyone else, cost, comfort and access line up a few miles north.

Where to eat & drink

Here's what nobody warns first-timers about: during show week, dinner in Fort Lauderdale is a logistics problem. Las Olas Boulevard is excellent and completely booked. Friday or Saturday without a reservation isn't a gamble, it's a two-hour wait.

During the show

After the show, in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

This is the part that quietly justifies the whole strategy. Everything below is a walk from Blue Strawberry: no car, no reservation booked weeks out, no surge pricing.

Things to do in Fort Lauderdale around the show

Many visitors extend their trip into a short holiday. Smart move — late October is one of the best times of year in South Florida. Ideas for your non-show hours:

• The beach — miles of sand and warm Atlantic water. Even in late October the weather is ideal for an afternoon off your feet.
• Intracoastal sightseeing — if you liked the show water taxi, ride the full Water Taxi route: hop-on, hop-off along the Intracoastal and New River, with captains narrating the mansions and megayachts. $38 all-day for adults, $18 for kids 5–11, free under 5; 10 AM–10 PM, boats every 30–45 minutes, full loop about three hours. The LauderGO! Water Trolley along the Riverwalk is free — eight stops, every 30 minutes.
• Las Olas Boulevard — beyond dining, boutiques, art galleries and nightlife. Upscale but approachable.
• NSU Art Museum — one of the Southeast's leading contemporary art museums, on Las Olas Boulevard.
• Riverwalk — a linear park along the New River, good for a morning run or a sunset stroll.
• Deep-sea fishing charters — you're in one of the sportfishing capitals of the world. Book a half-day and put the fishing clinic lessons to use.
• The Everglades — a short drive west, airboat tours offer an entirely different side of Florida.
• Hugh Taylor Birch State Park — a green oasis on the beach, good for kayaking, hiking, or simply escaping the crowds.

Exhibitor registration and the history of FLIBS

If you're on the business side of the industry, FLIBS is the most important trade event on the calendar. With over 1,000 exhibitors and buyers from 52 countries, the B2B networking is unmatched.

For exhibitors

• Booth and slip reservations — registration opens well in advance. The exhibitor portal at flibs.com lists available booth space at the Convention Center and slip assignments across the venues.
• Exhibitor packages — from standard booth space to premium waterfront presentations at the Superyacht Village and main docks.
• Logistics support — Informa Markets provides setup, teardown and on-site support.

For media and industry professionals

• Media credentials — accredited journalists apply online at flibs.com. Applications go to the show's media team, and incomplete submissions get delayed. Expect a decision in 7–10 business days, and watch the deadline, which falls close to the show.
• Industry passes — brokers, designers, surveyors and other professionals may qualify for special entry. Check the official site for eligibility.

The networking value is hard to overstate. Some of the biggest deals in yacht brokerage begin as conversations on these docks.

History & background of FLIBS

FLIBS didn't become the world's largest in-water boat show overnight. It started in 1959 as a neighbourhood show run by volunteers.

Growth was immediate: by 1960, nearly twice as many exhibitors signed up. By the tenth anniversary, more than 50,000 people came through — and the largest boat on display was 53 feet. In 1971, 115 exhibitors booked in and boat sales topped $1 million. Today the biggest yachts on the docks approach 300 feet, and the show carries roughly $4 billion in boats and gear.

The show is owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), created in 1961 — the largest marine trade organisation in the Southeast United States, representing over 500 members across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, and supporting 142,000 jobs and $18.5 billion in regional economic output. Production is handled by Informa Markets. Since 2018, the show has also reached a national audience through a one-hour televised special.

Today FLIBS generates $1.79 billion in economic output across Florida — $709.7 million in sales by Florida companies and $85.8 million in state and local taxes, $24.5 million of it in Broward County alone. It has cemented the city's title as the Yachting Capital of the World.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show?

The 67th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show runs Wednesday, October 28 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 — five days of the world's largest in-water boat show. Wednesday is Preview Day, opening at noon and closing at 7 PM. Thursday, Friday and Saturday run 10 AM to 7 PM. Sunday is the shortest day, 10 AM to 5 PM. Note that Saturday, October 31 is Halloween, which makes the busiest day of the show busier still.

How much are tickets for the 2026 boat show?

2026 prices are live: $70 for the one-day Wednesday Preview, $77 for a two-day General Admission pass (any two days Thursday through Sunday), $100 for the two-day Preview plus General Admission pass, and $439 for the Windward VIP Experience, valid for one day. Children under 6 enter free with a ticketed adult. Tickets are sold online at flibs.com — there's no box office at the show, and digital tickets are scanned at the gate, so buy before you travel. Active-duty military and veterans receive free one-day general admission on any show day. One ticket covers entry to all seven venues. Shuttles and golf carts between venues are complimentary; the water taxi is $15 for one day or $65 for five, and is included with a Windward VIP ticket.

Where should I park at FLIBS?

Park at the Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. It has over 3,000 spaces at a flat rate of $20 per day and serves as the show's official transportation hub, so you can park once and leave the car all day. From there, complimentary shuttles and golf carts run to the main venues, and the water taxi connects Bahia Mar, Pier Sixty-Six Marina and Las Olas Marina for $15 a day. Participating City of Fort Lauderdale garages use PayByPhone — download the app before you travel, or call 1-888-680-7275. Windward VIP holders get complimentary self-parking at the Superyacht Village, first-come first-served.

Can I board the boats on display?

Often, yes — but never assume. Entry onto any vessel is at the discretion of the exhibitor, manufacturer or broker. Always ask before stepping aboard, and expect to take your shoes off. Production boats and center consoles are usually open to walk-ons during quieter hours. Brokerage yachts and superyachts are different: viewings are typically by appointment only, so if you want to see a specific yacht, contact the broker before the show. Appointment slots fill up early.

What does the Windward VIP ticket include?

The Windward VIP Experience costs $439 and is valid for one day — any single day, Wednesday through Sunday, including Preview Day. It includes early entry, complimentary self-parking at the Superyacht Village (first-come first-served, and it can fill on busy days), complimentary water taxi service, the Windward VIP Lounge with a premium open bar and gourmet food, the Windward VIP Cabana Club at Hall of Fame Marina, private restrooms, and luxury pop-up activations. The Fort Lauderdale Concours on Friday evening is available as a bundled add-on. It suits buyers who want quiet time with sales reps before the crowds arrive, and anyone treating the day as an experience rather than a shopping trip. If your priority is simply covering as much of the show as possible, a multi-day General Admission pass gives you more hours on the docks.

How many venues does the boat show cover?

Seven waterfront locations, all covered by a single ticket: Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Marina, Superyacht Village at Pier Sixty-Six South, Pier Sixty-Six Marina, Broward County Convention Center, and the 17th Street Yacht Basin. Complimentary shuttles and golf carts loop between the Convention Center, Bahia Mar and the Superyacht Village. The water taxi serves Bahia Mar, the Convention Center, Pier Sixty-Six Marina and Las Olas Marina. One thing most guides get wrong: no single route covers all seven. Hall of Fame Marina and the 17th Street Yacht Basin are walk-ups.

What is the best day to visit FLIBS?

Wednesday's Preview Day is the best of the five: gates open at noon, most casual visitors wait for the weekend, and you get real one-on-one time with exhibitors. Thursday is a close second. Saturday is by far the busiest — and in 2026 it falls on Halloween, so expect the city to be busy too. If Saturday is your only option, be at the gates at 10 AM sharp. Sunday is the shortest day and draws lighter crowds; some exhibitors will deal to avoid trucking a boat home, but others start packing up in the afternoon, so go early.

What can I bring into the boat show?

There's no published size limit on bags, but every bag is searched by security at entry — the smaller your bag, the faster you get through the gate. On pets, FLIBS doesn't publish a general policy on its public FAQ, and policies at an in-water show with active docks tend to be restrictive, so plan on leaving pets at home. If you're travelling with a service animal, contact the show directly beforehand so you arrive with the documentation they expect.

Can I buy a boat at the show?

Yes, and many exhibitors come prepared to negotiate and close. Show pricing, package deals and financing incentives are common — ask directly what is tied to the show and what isn't. The boats on display are typically fully loaded demo models, so clarify the base price and what each upgrade costs before you talk numbers. Bring your financing pre-approval, take photos and notes on every boat you tour, and remember that boarding is always at the exhibitor's discretion. For brokerage yachts, book your viewing with a broker before the show.

How do I get to FLIBS without driving?

Take the Brightline express train from Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach or Orlando to the Fort Lauderdale station. From there, the free Red Route shuttle runs to the Riverside Hotel on Las Olas, where the water taxi goes straight to Bahia Mar for $15 a day. No traffic, no parking, no circling for a spot. Shuttles start one hour before the show opens and run until one hour after it closes.

Which hotels are closest to the boat show?

Only two properties in Fort Lauderdale actually sit on a boat show venue: the hotel whose own docks host the 17th Street Yacht Basin, and Pier Sixty-Six, which hosts both Pier Sixty-Six Marina and the Superyacht Village. If you have back-to-back dock appointments, those are worth the premium. Everywhere else involves a transfer of some kind — including the oceanfront resorts on Fort Lauderdale Beach, which are excellent but aren't within walking distance of the docks either. Once a transfer is part of the plan anyway, it's worth comparing options, and a number of repeat visitors base themselves in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea: about six miles north up A1A, roughly twenty minutes to the docks, with free parking, a walkable restaurant strip and rates set by the normal market. The village even has its own Water Taxi stop at Blue Moon Fish Co. Book early either way, since rooms near the venues thin out through September.

How big is the Fort Lauderdale boat show?

It's the largest in-water boat show in the world, spanning nearly 90 acres and three million square feet of exhibit space across seven waterfront venues, linked by six miles of floating docks. FLIBS puts the numbers this way: the five-day show drew over 100,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors representing 52 countries, with more than 1,300 boats on display, in 2022 — and 2026 is tracking to match or beat it, with roughly $4 billion in boats and gear on the water. The show generates $1.79 billion in economic output across Florida, including $709.7 million in sales by Florida companies and $85.8 million in state and local taxes.