The number of large boats, those in the 35 to 50 meter range, is growing at the 2026 edition of the Genoa International Boat Show, and the average size of the three largest units in each segment also increases by 14.1% (compared to 2025); the available water space also expands: +4%. These are the most significant numbers of the 66th Genoa boat show which, organized by Confindustria Nautica, will open its doors on October 1st and continue until October 6th, hosting over a thousand boats, with 215 new models and 45 countries represented from 5 continents. The event was presented yesterday in Milan, at the Edison Foundation.
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The shift of the event from September to early October, say the organizers, has favored (as hoped, thanks to distancing from the dates of the Cannes and Monte Carlo shows) the return of major players to Genoa and the presence of larger boats. In this context, the Living made in Italy area was created, a new space on dock H, developed with the support of Ice Agency, with setups, lounges, and hospitality services dedicated to enhancing the national shipbuilding industry beyond 24 meters. This project encouraged the participation in the show of superyachts in the 35 to 50 meter length range.
“The geopolitical situation weighs on the small ones”
“The numbers of this edition – says the president of Confindustria Nautica, Piero Formenti – have a meaning that goes beyond the quantitative data, because the show is a direct expression of the market and the industry it represents. We are talking about a sector that in 2025 reached 8.6 billion euros in turnover, activates over 13 billion in added value and almost 170,000 employees, with about 90% of production destined for foreign markets. 2026 – he continues – does not have the same sign, due to the geopolitical situation. The high-end segment is growing, the mid-sized boating is holding steady, the small boating is seeing a significant setback. If the war between Russia and Ukraine ended now, half the problem would be solved.”
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The growth of the water layout, the increase in the size of the boats present, and the evolution of the different segments, adds Formenti, “tell of a sector that is changing and an event capable, in turn, of changing accordingly. This is the strength of a show organized by the national industry association: listening to companies, interpreting their needs, and translating them into a project capable of combining representation and market, industrial vision and international projection.”
The Blue arena is born
Another novelty in the 2026 edition of the boat show is represented by the Blue arena. Created, precisely, in the sports arena of the Palasport, thanks to an investment by Confindustria Nautica and Ice, the area was designed and set up to bring a wider audience closer to recreational boating.
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