Southampton Boat Show

The Southampton Boat Show, also called the Southampton International Boat Show, is a big event for boats held in the water. It is one of the largest in Europe and the biggest of its type in the UK. The show happens every year in September at Mayflower Park in Southampton, England.

This boat show is run by British Marine, a group that supports businesses in the leisure, superyacht, and small commercial marine industry. The show is a very important place for buying and selling boats, with over 110,000 visitors each year. People from the UK and many other countries come to see the boats and learn about new things.

The visitors are mostly adults, with most of them being men, and the average age is around 51 years old. On average, each person spends more than £880 during the show, not counting the cost of buying boats.

History

The Southampton Boat Show started in 1969. In the first year, there was just one pontoon showing boats borrowed from the army. Since 1997, the show has lasted ten days because of a special law. Big crowds have come to the show, with over 123,000 people at the event in 2004. The 2005 show even had a sandy beach made just for the occasion.

Recent Editions

The 56th Southampton International Boat Show was held from 19 to 28 September 2025 at Mayflower Park, Southampton. This year, the show had a new layout and entrance, plus special areas like the Powerhub and the Wooden Boat Stage. There were also exciting water shows with performers like Jack Moule, Team Endeavour Racing, and JETSURF. Oyster Yachts showed their Oyster 595 boat on berth M639.

In 2023, the show took place from 15 to 24 September and welcomed over 92,000 visitors. More than 600 sellers showed over 300 boats in Europe’s largest purpose-built marina for boats.

The 2024 event happened from 13 to 22 September and had over 100,300 visitors, making it one of the most popular shows ever. More than 650 boats were displayed, with 350 in the water. The show had 87 new boat debuts from around the world.

Famous people at the 2024 show included HRH The Princess Royal, and TV personalities Captain Glenn Shephard and Daisy Kelliher from Below Deck Sailing Yacht. The show made it easier for visitors to compare boats by grouping similar styles together. New areas included the Watersports Zone, Dinghy Zone, Classic & Day Boat Zone, and “The Shipyard,” where visitors could enjoy live music, food, drinks, and talks from boat experts.

British Marine, who organise the show, started several green projects in 2024. They used materials that can be recycled, reused signs, and asked all sellers to promise to help the environment. The show also gave out awards for sustainability, and Sunsail and The Moorings shared the British Marine Sustainability Award for their work in sustainable tourism.

The Southampton International Boat Show Act 1997 (c. i) is a law from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It lets Mayflower Park close for 10 days instead of 9 during the boat show.

Exhibitors

The Boat Show has many exhibitors who show all kinds of things related to boats. You can see boat builders, people who make sails, shops that sell boat supplies, engine makers, and more. There are thousands of boats, brands, products, and suppliers during the ten-day show.

Organisers

British Marine is the group that helps the UK boating industry. It is run by people who work in the boating industry, and the money from the shows is used to help the industry. British Marine has more than 1,600 members, and they help employ around 30,000 people. These members work with boats on the sea and on lakes, and they help with all kinds of boats, from small leisure boats to big yachts.

Publications

There are no publications listed in this section.