By Georgia Tindale
As the dust settles over the 2026 edition of the Monaco Yacht Show and the industry temporarily rests its tired feet, there was certainly no shortage of launches, announcements and developments to capture our attention. But with so much to reflect on, it can be hard to keep track. To help, here’s our post-show round-up covering some of MYS 2026’s best bits.
MYS 2026: Highlights and Key Changes
Alongside showcasing 120+ diverse yachts of all shapes and sizes, this year’s show delivered a particularly strong line-up of debuts and new concepts. This included Royal Huisman’s 84.9m Project 410, Nautor Swan’s first 44m Swan Alloy 44 and Sunreef’s 28.65m Ipharra, the first Sunreef 100 Eco sailing yacht, alongside concepts such as Feadship’s 115m HIVE and Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design’s 118m Fusion, billed as the world’s largest full-length trimaran superyacht concept.
In addition, Saudi Arabia was a key industry focus at this year’s show, with the Red Sea Yacht Show announced for 14–17 October 2027 at Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina, following an agreement between Tahaluf and Sela signed during the event.
With the format of each edition often undergoing shifts and improvements, the most notable layout changes for 2026’s MYS included the new Designer Gallery, which was given its own dedicated platform (alongside VBH’s popular Immersive Experience next door), as well as the expansion of the Adventure Area with its additional tender capacity.
Blue Wake™ Awards
Now in their second edition, the eco-focused Blue Wake™ Awards also took place during MYS 2026, after whittling entrants down from 71 original applications to a hotly contested 15 finalists.
Judged according to Water Revolution Foundation’s strict criteria, before being submitted to a jury for final verdicts, the 2026 Blue Wake™ Awards recognised companies Tykun, Bespoke Projects, Termodinamica, Amico & Co and Marina Ibiza across five categories, alongside a special prize for the 62-metre sailing yacht Simena by Ares Yachts. VPLP Design received a special mention for its Wind Voyage project featuring OceanWings® rigid wings.
Australian and Asia-Pacific Highlights
2026 represented a particularly strong year for the Asia-Pacific region at the Monaco Yacht Show. Superyacht Australia joined up with the Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association (APSA) and presented a dedicated Asia-Pacific stand for the first time.
Exhibitors on the Asia Pacific Stand included Maritime Cook Islands, Rivergate Marina & Shipyard, Tax Navigate, 3Beaches Textiles, Torrens Luxury Collection, Tahiti Tourisme, The Superyacht People, Acutec Systems, Australian Superyachts, Oceania Marine Shipyard and Skytopia.
David Good, CEO of Superyacht Australia, commented: “The show’s been fantastic, and there has been lots of interest in our region. It has been our first year as one unified Asia Pacific stand, and it has shown what we can achieve together. Looking ahead, we’d like to be number three on the list for where fleet managers want to go. Plus, the upcoming Rugby World Cup and the 2032 Olympics are all reasons to be optimistic for visitor numbers to our region.”
This sense of optimism was shared by Chris Santon, Head of Burgess Australia. As a company, Burgess showcased numerous large yachts at MYS 2026, including the much-discussed 111-metre diesel-electric Oceanco Leviathan.
Santon said: “We’re extremely positive about Australia and the wider APAC region. It remains a relatively young superyacht market, but the fundamentals are very strong, with a growing number of yachts and increasingly sophisticated Australian clients looking at opportunities globally. Australia also offers some of the world’s most extraordinary cruising grounds, alongside significant potential across Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. I see APAC, and Australia in particular, as a very important long-term growth market for the business.”
Similarly, Mike Sager, co-founder and co-CEO of the Sydney-based Ankor Software, who also attended the show, commented that this year’s MYS was “the best show we could have ever asked for.”
Finally, as a welcome addition to events, Superyacht Australia also took the opportunity to launch Issue 14 of its Superyacht Australia Magazine on the first day of the show, placing Australia’s superyacht industry firmly under the global spotlight.
This included a Destination Guide exploring Tahiti, Thailand and Darwin, new marina developments, ocean conservation initiatives, a focus on Australia’s refit capabilities and a 2027 events calendar. Discover more, and read it for yourself, here.
Georgia Tindale is a freelance editor, writer and journalist. Writing for a range of publications, primarily across the maritime and luxury spheres, she is also co-founder and arts editor at the international online and print magazine Porridge. Find her at georgiatindale.com or on LinkedIn.
