Arcachon Nautical Show: A Decade of Maritime Celebration

Heritage Vessels Take Center Stage

This year’s show highlights heritage vessels, true icons of maritime history. The Belem, a historical monument and guardian of the Olympic flame, will be docked at the Ifremer quay, alongside La Belle Poule, a training ship of the French Navy, the Lys Noir, a flagship of the Arcachon shipyards from 1914, and Éric Tabarly’s Pen Duick fleet, recently classified as national heritage.

This exceptional gathering embodies the show’s commitment to combining heritage and transmission, in a port that itself is rich in over a century of history and innovation.

An Economic Driver for the Bay

Beyond the festive atmosphere, the Nautical Show is also an economic driver for the Arcachon Bay. Over the past decade, it has established itself as a key development platform for the local nautical industry. With over 350 businesses in the Gironde region, a third of which are located around the Arcachon Bay, the industry generates €58 million in annual revenue and supports a thousand direct and indirect jobs.

Institutional partners, local authorities, development agencies, innovative companies, and local artisans meet to build the future of nautical activities together – a future that includes the energy transition. Pioneering solutions will be presented this year, such as Beyond the Sea’s kites and Eco-Nautik’s hydrogen engines, symbols of cleaner and more sustainable boating.

A Show in Full Expansion

In 2024, nearly 65,000 visitors walked the docks of the port. For this anniversary edition, organizers expect 67,000 attendees. Over 30,000 m2 of exhibition space, more than 200 exhibitors and 480 boats – afloat and ashore – will showcase the vitality of a sector in motion. The Port of Arcachon, the only deep-water port in the bay and certified “Clean Ports,” is more than ever the beating heart of this dynamic.

Nautical animations, skiff rowing competitions, sailing baptisms, rescue demonstrations, VR simulators, and even a maritime cosplay contest: the event also embraces its role as a fun showcase, where young and old can explore the sea in all its facets. Not to be missed: the first French University Beach Rowing Sprint Cup, a spectacular Olympic discipline, which will take place on Saturday, April 19th on the port’s beach.

Practical Information

• From Friday, April 18th to Monday, April 21st, 2025
• Port of Arcachon – Quai du Commandant Silhouette
• 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM – Free admission
• Access:
  • TER or TGV to Arcachon (Baïa shuttle from the station)
  • Free parking at Prés Salés Ouest + shuttle
  • Secured cycle path to the port
  • Free UBA service by boat from the Thiers pier

With this 10th edition, the Arcachon Nautical Show affirms its role as a link between maritime memory, economic dynamism, and innovations geared towards the future. An event to be experienced intensely, on the docks and on the water, to celebrate together a shared passion: that of the sea.

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