For four days in September, Monaco was all about yachts.
Of course, Monaco is no stranger to spectacular yachts. They are part of the scenery here throughout the year. But during the Monaco Yacht Show, everything changes. And this year somehow felt different — bigger, busier and simply very impressive.
The 35th Monaco Yacht Show brought around 120 superyachts and more than 560 exhibitors to the Principality. Port Hercule was completely transformed, with yachts, tenders, water toys, cars, designers, shipyards, captains, brokers and visitors arriving from all over the world.
But what was especially beautiful this year was not only what was inside the port. Looking out towards the Mediterranean, there were yachts everywhere. Around Monaco, along the coast and further away on the horizon — one after another.
And the weather was a blessing. Sunny and warm during the day, fresh and pleasant in the evening. Monaco could hardly have given the Yacht Show four better days.
So, what really stood out this year?
Leviathan: 111 metres and a world of its own
Let’s start with the biggest.
At 111 metres, Oceanco’s Leviathan was the largest yacht at Monaco Yacht Show 2026.
She was impossible not to notice. But what makes Leviathan really interesting is not simply her size.
Built by Oceanco for Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve and owner of the Dutch shipyard, Leviathan is designed around a rather different idea: creating a yacht where the people onboard live much more as one community.
For all her enormous size, Leviathan accommodates only up to 26 guests, alongside 37 crew. There is a communal dining room, gaming lounge, basketball court and even a 3D-printing workshop, with spaces designed to be shared rather than separated.
But there is another side to her. Leviathan was also created with ocean exploration and scientific work in mind, with a laboratory, dive centre and hospital onboard.
And there is one particularly beautiful detail inside: the names of 3,000 people involved in creating Leviathan are engraved on a glass panel incorporated into the yacht.
A yacht like this may belong to one owner, but thousands of people made her possible.
Close by was another Oceanco, the 92.9-metre Draak, recently extensively rebuilt and transformed into a companion yacht for Leviathan, supporting scientific research, diving and marine exploration.
Seeing the two Oceancos together was one of the images that stood out in Port Hercule.
It also showed something about where superyachting is going: beyond luxury, yachts are increasingly becoming places to explore, dive, learn, work and spend serious time at sea.
NIXIE: another giant arrives in Monaco
Not far away was another giant of the show: NIXIE.
At 102.4 metres, the new Lürssen made her global debut at the Monaco Yacht Show.
She has a completely different personality from Leviathan, with soft, sculpted exterior lines, an unusual warm-grey colour and a spectacular 270-square-metre beach club with four terraces opening towards the sea. Above it sits a semi-suspended glass swimming pool.
A swimming pool above a huge beach club looking directly into the Mediterranean — it gives some idea of what a 100-metre yacht looks like in 2026.
Behind all of this there is serious technology as well, including diesel-electric propulsion supported by an energy-storage system.
BRABUS: 60 knots into Monaco
One of the most exciting experiences of the week happened before even reaching Port Hercule.
BRABUS invited HelloMonaco to travel from Villefranche-sur-Mer to Monaco by sea, with three BRABUS Marine boats making the trip together.
The ride was aboard the BRABUS Shadow 1000 XC Cross Cabin.
Two Mercury Racing 500R V8 engines. A total of 1,000 horsepower. Maximum speed: 60 knots, around 111 km/h.
On paper, 111 km/h is a number.
On the water — wow.
The speed, the sound of the engines, three BRABUS boats moving together and Monaco appearing ahead made it one of those moments from this year’s Yacht Show that is difficult to forget.
BRABUS also arrived with bigger news: the BRABUS AB110, developed with AB Yachts and opening a new superyacht chapter for the brand.
During the show, HelloMonaco spoke with BRABUS CEO Constantin Buschmann and Alexandre Grimaldi of EO Ventures about the company’s future in Monaco.
“Monaco is a very important market for us, and we want to be here throughout the year,” Buschmann told HelloMonaco.
He also revealed that he would like to see a BRABUS boutique in Monaco within the next two or three years.
Beyond the superyacht
From speed on the water to everything that can be carried behind a superyacht, the Adventure Area was another place where it was very easy to lose track of time.
This year the area expanded again, filled with chase boats, performance tenders, diving equipment and increasingly sophisticated water toys.
TYKUN, which received the 2026 Blue Wake Award in the tenders and water-toys category, was among the names showing just how sophisticated the world behind the superyacht has become.
And then there were the cars.
The Top Marques Monaco Pavilion brought the automotive world directly into the Adventure Area, with names including BRABUS, Mansory, Callum, IMSA and Klassen.
In Monaco, yachts and beautiful cars somehow always find each other.
J Craft: when beautiful is enough
And then there is J Craft.
No complicated explanation is needed.
They are simply beautiful boats.
The Torpedo represents something timeless — beauty, grace and craftsmanship. Its classic lines feel completely natural on the Mediterranean.
Among all the enormous yachts, incredible speeds and new technology at the Monaco Yacht Show, J Craft is a reminder that some things don’t need to change too much.
Beautiful lines, beautiful craftsmanship and a boat that will probably look just as elegant many years from now.
A cleaner future for yachting
There was also another conversation running through the show this year: how to make yachting cleaner and more efficient.
One interesting premiere was the Sunreef 100 Eco, a fully electric catamaran using photovoltaic technology integrated into the yacht to generate solar energy.
Across the show, there were new ideas around propulsion, batteries, energy management, emissions reduction and water treatment.
It is no longer a small conversation happening somewhere on the side of the industry. It is becoming part of the main one.
A small detail that made a big difference
And a little appreciation has to go to another part of the Monaco Yacht Show: the shuttle tenders.
They were really good this year.
With appointments taking place all around Port Hercule, getting quickly from one side of the harbour to the other can make a real difference. The team was incredibly friendly, helpful and efficient, and there was hardly any waiting around.
It may seem like a small detail, but during four very busy days, it made a big difference.
When the sun goes down
The Monaco Yacht Show during the day is one world.
The Monaco Yacht Show at night is another.
There are dinners, cocktails, yacht parties and private events all over the Principality.
And then there is one invitation that has become almost legendary during the Monaco Yacht Show: the Lürssen Party at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
Everyone knows about it.
Everyone wants the invitation.
Getting one is another story.
The guest list is famously selective, and every year there is the same question around the show: who is going to perform?
Over the years, the Lürssen Party has welcomed names including Earth, Wind & Fire, Gloria Gaynor and Rick Astley.
It has become part of the tradition — one of those evenings people remember, talk about afterwards and hope to be invited to again the following year.
And then, four days later, Port Hercule slowly began returning to normal.
The meetings finished. The stands started coming down. The yachts began leaving, and the horizon around Monaco slowly started to look like itself again.
The Monaco Yacht Show is always intense. So much happens in only four days that somehow it feels much longer — and then suddenly it is over.
This year, with beautiful weather, yachts everywhere and so much happening from morning until late at night, it felt particularly special.
And then, just like that, it was time to say goodbye.
Farewell, Monaco Yacht Show 2026. It was beautiful having you here.
See you again next year.
