Four Days on the Newport Waterfront
The Newport International Boat Show runs Thursday, September 17 to Sunday, September 20, 2026, across the downtown Newport waterfront in Rhode Island. It is one of the largest in-water shows in the Northeast, and for anyone buying or selling in New England it is the most concentrated week of the year: more than 450 boats in the water, in one place, at the same time.
The show spans over seventeen acres of interconnected sites — Newport Yachting Center, Perry Mill Wharf, Bowen's Wharf, Bannister's Wharf, Hammetts Hotel and Market Square — with sail and powerboats from 15 to 90 feet and hundreds of exhibitors alongside them.
Show Hours
- Thursday 17 September — 10am to 6pm
- Friday 18 September — 10am to 6pm
- Saturday 19 September — 10am to 6pm
- Sunday 20 September — 10am to 5pm
Tickets are sold through the show's own website. Because the sites are spread across several wharfs rather than one hall, it is worth arriving early on the day you plan to see the most boats — the docks are considerably easier to walk before mid-morning on the weekend.
What Is On Beyond the Docks
Newport puts a genuine programme around the boats, and much of it is worth planning for rather than stumbling into:
- Brokerage Basin — the show's pre-owned collection, expanded again this year
- Tech Talks — three-hour workshops presented by IYRS, covering gel coat repair, diesel electronics and lithium batteries
- Cruisers Classroom — sessions aimed at owners planning longer passages
- Docking Workshop and in-water boating courses
- Fishing Village — tackle, electronics and sportfishing exhibitors
- Windward VIP Lounge — for ticket holders who want somewhere to sit down
The Tech Talks in particular fill up. If a three-hour session on lithium systems is the reason you are going, book it rather than assuming you can walk in.
Going With a Plan
Four days sounds like plenty until you are standing at the head of the wharfs deciding which end to start from. Before you go, it is worth being clear on the length range you are actually shopping, whether you are looking at sail or power, and which two or three boats you want to spend a proper hour aboard rather than walk through.
That is where a broker earns their keep. Tell us what you are after and we can tell you what is worth your time at Newport — and what is not, which is usually the more useful half of the conversation.
Talk to a Massey broker about the show
Selling Into the New England Season
Newport marks the turn of the New England season. The buyers walking these docks in September are the same ones looking at listings through the autumn, and boats that show well during show week tend to carry that momentum. If you are weighing whether to list before winter, the weeks either side of Newport are a sensible time to have a realistic conversation about what your boat is worth.
Massey's New England office is in Mystic, Connecticut, about an hour's drive from the Newport waterfront.
Ask us what your yacht is worth
Show details above are from the Newport International Boat Show's own listings and are subject to change; confirm hours and ticketing at newportboatshow.com.