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With 82 multihulls exhibited afloat from April 22 to 26, 2026 at La Grande Motte, the International Multihull Show continues to expand in a fast-changing multihull market. Cruising catamarans, fast trimarans, powercats and hybrid units occupied the pontoons of a show marked this year by a strong international presence and a major reorganization of the site linked to port works.
Despite a 5% drop in attendance compared to 2025, the organizers have noted a clear increase in foreign visitors from 27 European countries, as well as from Asia, America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. This trend has prompted the show to prepare a more structured strategy for international expansion.
Anaïs David, curator of the International Multihull Show, looks back at the show's transformations and new market trends.
"We've rethought almost everything this year"
This 2026 edition took place in a special context, with the construction of the port of La Grande Motte. How did you manage this situation?
Work had already been underway for several months, but this year we were directly impacted by the show. The aim is to modernize the port and make it more welcoming. It's also something we've wanted for a long time, with a more qualitative site for visitors and exhibitors.
But of course, before achieving this result, we had to go through a construction phase. We worked hard with the port teams and the various companies present on the site to optimize space and ensure that visitors saw as little of the work as possible.
In the end, I think we managed to keep them well hidden thanks to all the thought we put into traffic flow and layout.
"This year, we started from scratch"
The layout of the show has changed significantly this year.
Yes, completely. Usually, we go back to a fairly similar layout from one edition to the next. This time, we had to rebuild everything. We no longer had the same space available, and we had to completely rethink the exhibitor placements.
It's a huge job for the organization, but also for the construction sites. Some locations are more strategic than others, and we have to find the right balance for everyone. We've also reworked the visitor route, opening a third pool and repositioning the main entrance near the town center. This allows us to distribute the flow of visitors more evenly and make the visit easier to understand.
The electric shuttles introduced this year also facilitated travel between the different areas of the show.
Motor catamarans seem to occupy an increasingly visible place on the pontoons.
Yes, clearly. Historically, the show has had a more sailing-oriented identity, but this is no longer the case, as our visitor base is evolving. We've kept the sailing public, while welcoming new visitors from the classic motorboat and yacht sectors. Once again this year, we are seeing an increase in the number of motorboats present at the show (there were 5 in 2024, 15 in 2025 and 19 in 2026). We intend to work alongside motor multihull builders, as we have done in the past for sailing multihull brands, to support the development of this segment and offer them the best possible working space.
"Some world premieres give the show real visibility"
Several new products made their world debut this year.
Yes, and that's always important to us. The Simbad, for example, was eagerly awaited. The shipyard remained extremely discreet throughout the boat's development, and it had never been shown before the show.
The fact that manufacturers are choosing the International Multihull Show to unveil a world premiere shows that the show now has real international visibility.
This year, we also had shipyards from Thailand, China, Tunisia, Australia, South Africa, Vietnam and Portugal. This just goes to show that multihull production is now spread across the globe.
What's your connection with the show?
This is my tenth edition. I started out in this world thanks to the historic founders of the show. They're the ones who passed on my passion for multihulls and introduced me to the whole profession.
Then, when the show was taken over by the Fédération des Industries Nautiques, Caroline Popovici arrived as general commissioner. She made a huge contribution to the structuring and professionalization of the event.
The show was growing and needed a more solid organizational framework. Today, we are continuing this work, while trying to preserve the original spirit that is also the identity of the show.
"The question of expansion is already on the table"
With the increasing number of boats on display, is the show approaching its limits?
It's a real question. We obviously want to keep growing, but we have to deal with the constraints of a year-round port. We're here for five days, but the port is always alive.
Discussions with the city and the port are therefore important in imagining the next steps. The work underway will improve the site and provide more suitable infrastructures in the years to come, notably with the future nautical hall mentioned during the show.
Now we need to find the right balance between growth, visitor quality and show identity. The next edition is already scheduled for April 2027 at La Grande Motte.
