Between Docks C and D at Bahia Mar, a set of cabanas and the Goslings Island Bar will be in place by the morning of October 28. This year that patch of dock is the Windward VIP Cabana Club. It is the show's new second VIP location, joining the Superyacht Village across the water at Pier Sixty-Six.
That is about the only change at Bahia Mar. The 67th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show comes back to its usual docks at 801 Seabreeze Boulevard. The places around it are where things are moving. One of the best-known bar-and-grill spaces at Beach Place has gone dark. The W is in the middle of a restaurant buildout. The city's free water trolley pauses for the week. And the marina under the show is still waiting on a redevelopment groundbreaking. For anyone who lives between the Las Olas bridge and Sunrise Boulevard, the show is the steady part of this year's fall calendar, and almost everything around it is changing.
The Show Itself Holds Its Shape
The dates are Wednesday, October 28, through Sunday, November 1. Visit Lauderdale puts the expected draw at more than 100,000 attendees, 1,000 exhibiting brands and 1,300 boats spread across six venues. Those venues are the Broward County Convention Center, Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Marina, Superyacht Village and Pier Sixty-Six Marina.
Each venue keeps its usual role. Bahia Mar carries center consoles, superyachts, accessories and electronics. Hall of Fame Marina holds new-build yachts. Las Olas Marina, at 240 Las Olas Circle, hosts vessels from 60 to more than 200 feet. Brokerage boats over 100 feet go to the newly reimagined Pier Sixty-Six North.
The one new feature on the beach side besides the cabanas is a floating pickleball court at Las Olas Marina, where yacht crews will play a friendly tournament. Tickets are digital only and sold only at flibs.com. There is no box office on site, so a last-minute walk over from a beach condo requires buying a ticket on your phone first.
The transportation network runs on its own clock, which starts earlier and ends later than the show each day. That gap matters on the island, because shuttles and water taxis keep moving after the docks close.
| Day | Show hours | Water taxi and shuttle hours |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Oct. 28 (Preview Day) | 12 to 7 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Thu., Oct. 29 to Sat., Oct. 31 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
A Show on the Beach, Parked Off the Beach
The show's own parking guidance makes the Broward County Convention Center at 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard the transportation hub. It has more than 3,000 spaces at $20 a day, with free shuttles and golf carts running among the six venues. Water Taxi day passes are $15.
The 2026 parking and transportation map, dated October 8, also lists garages much closer to beach residents. Three are worth knowing:
- Beach Place garage, 17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard
- Las Olas Marina, 240 Las Olas Circle, which is also a water taxi and shuttle stop
- GALLERYone DoubleTree Hotel, 2670 E. Sunrise Boulevard, at the north end of the beach
Residents farther north have an easier option on the water. Shooters Waterfront at 3033 NE 32nd Avenue appears on the map as both a parking location and a water taxi stop. That gives the Galt end of the island a way to reach the docks by boat without driving down A1A. The water taxi stops also include Bahia Mar at the show entrance, Las Olas Marina, Pier Sixty-Six Marina North, Superyacht Village, the Convention Center and the Riverside Hotel docks on Las Olas. The shuttle loops add Brightline Station and the West Marine store at 2401 S. Andrews Avenue.
One service goes away for the week. The city's free LauderGO! Water Trolley will not run from October 28 through November 1 because of the boat show. Its regular route follows the New River, not the beach, so the pause matters most to anyone who uses it to get downtown.
Street closures have not been announced yet. When the Fort Lauderdale Journal checked on October 8, neither the show nor the City of Fort Lauderdale had posted 2026 street-closure information. Notices may still come out closer to opening day, so city alerts are the place to watch for driving plans that week.
The Restaurant Row Around the Show Is Changing Hands
Beach Place is on the official show parking list this year. It is also missing a familiar tenant. The Sun Sentinel reported that Con Murphy's Ocean Bar & Grill at 7 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard closed in July, citing Beach Place's leasing agent. No replacement tenant had been announced in that coverage. The same roundup listed the Galt Ocean Mile location of Giorgio's Bistro & Bakery at 3537 Galt Ocean Drive among the spring and summer closures.
The biggest addition is partly open. Motek By The Sea is taking over the former El Vez space at the W Fort Lauderdale, 401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard. Miami New Times describes it as the Miami brand's first Broward location and its largest in South Florida, about 12,000 square feet with roughly 315 seats indoors and outdoors facing the ocean. The full restaurant is slated for November. Until then, Motek is running takeout and delivery out of the W while construction wraps up. November is a forecast, not a confirmed date. Neighbors can order from Motek during show week, but the dining room may not be open before the boats leave.
Farther north, Koji & Coal is already serving at 3558 N. Ocean Boulevard. Miami New Times describes it as an upscale, certified-kosher restaurant with a modern Asian menu that leans toward steakhouse dishes, served in a small dining room with warm lighting. It is a long way from the show venues, which makes it an option for an evening when the south end of the beach is crowded with show traffic.
On the docks, food and drinks come from the show's exclusive caterer, Proof of the Pudding, plus the Goslings Island Bar, the Stella Artois Barge and smaller bars around the venues. Both Windward VIP locations will serve dishes from chefs Ryan O'Sullivan of "Hell's Kitchen" and David White of "Below Deck" and "Chopped."
Bahia Mar Is Still Bahia Mar, for Now
The 2026 show uses Bahia Mar the same way it has for years because the site's redevelopment has not started. The St. Regis Bahia Mar project, with towers designed by Arquitectonica, was still in pre-construction as of early October. Project coverage puts the Phase 1 groundbreaking target at late 2026 or early 2027 and estimates delivery around 2030. Both are targets, not milestones the developer has confirmed. That same coverage reports that co-developer Jimmy Tate told the Sun Sentinel the goal was to be 45 to 50 percent pre-sold before vertical construction begins. The plans call for a 250-slip marina that can take yachts up to 350 feet, run by a third-party operator.
FLIBS lists Bahia Mar as a venue for the 2026 show, which runs from the October 28 preview day through the closing Sunday. For anyone who can see the marina from home, two announcements will show how those docks are used next fall: the redevelopment's groundbreaking date and the show's 2027 venue list.
If you are wondering how the Bahia Mar timeline, the Beach Place vacancy or the new dining near the W affect a home on the beach, Heather Lefka follows these projects block by block and is glad to go over them with you in confidence. Schedule a private consultation before or after show week, whichever suits you.
