30 Oct The Miami and Palm Beach Boat Shows 2027: A Buyer’s Guide

The Miami and Palm Beach Boat Shows 2027: A Buyer’s Guide

South Florida’s two winter boat shows are set for 2027: the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show runs February 10–14 across four venues in Miami Beach and Miami, and the Palm Beach International Boat Show runs March 17–21 along Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach. This guide covers what each show is, where the largest yachts are, what tickets and VIP passes cost, how a purchase really works after the show, and the Florida tax and registration rules every buyer should know, as of October 30, 2026.

Dates, venues and prices come from the shows’ own websites and press releases when we checked and can change. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; speak to a maritime lawyer and a tax adviser before you buy.

The Two Shows at a Glance

	Miami	Palm Beach
2027 dates	Wed Feb 10–Sun Feb 14	Wed Mar 17–Sun Mar 21
Hours	Wed 12–7 pm; Thu–Sat 10 am–7 pm; Sun 10 am–5 pm	Wed 12–7 pm; Thu–Sat 10 am–7 pm; Sun 10 am–5 pm
Where	Four venues in Miami Beach and Miami, one ticket	Flagler Drive, downtown West Palm Beach
Owner	NMMA, in partnership with IYBA	Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County
Produced by	Informa Markets	Informa Markets
Largest yachts	Miami Beach Yacht Collection (30 to 125 feet)	Superyacht Show at Palm Harbor Marina
2027 tickets	On sale (adult one-day tickets from $30 on “Super Sunday,” $45 other days)	Not yet on sale as of Oct 30, 2026

The Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show (February 10–14, 2027)

The Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show calls its 2027 edition the “86th annual Miami Boat Show” and “the longest-running boat show in the Southeast U.S.,” according to its August 14, 2026 press release. It is owned by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the national trade group behind the Discover Boating campaign, in partnership with the International Yacht Brokers Association (IYBA), and produced by Informa Markets.

The four venues

The 2027 show uses the same four sites as 2026, and one ticket covers all of them. The venues are “connected by water taxis and complimentary shuttle services,” according to the release.

• Miami Beach Convention Center, the central hub, “featuring thousands of boats up to 49 feet.”
• Pride Park, next to the convention center, home to the new “Entry Point.”
• Sailor’s Cove at IGY Yacht Haven Grande Miami (838 MacArthur Causeway), for sailboats and sailing gear.
• Miami Beach Yacht Collection, on Collins Avenue between 44th and 47th streets, with powerboats and motor yachts from 30 to 125 feet, the largest boats at the show.

Tickets and Windward VIP

2027 tickets went on sale in August 2026. The release lists an adult one-day Wednesday preview ticket at $66, a two-day preview plus general admission ticket at $105, a one-day general admission ticket at $45 and a two-day ticket at $78. A youth ticket (ages 6–15) is $17, a new Thursday-to-Sunday family four-pack is $99, a new “Super Sunday” adult ticket is $30, and children 5 and under are free.

The show’s Windward VIP ticket was listed at $350 for one show day, including sales tax, with booking fees extra, when we checked on October 30, 2026. The page still carries some 2026 labels, so confirm the price when you book. It includes the Windward VIP Lounge at the Yacht Collection (open bar, food and private restrooms), complimentary golf cart, shuttle and water-taxi service, and one hour of early access.

The show says it draws more than 1,000 exhibiting brands and more than 100,000 visitors. Hotels can be booked through onPeak, which the show calls “our official hotel provider.”

The Palm Beach International Boat Show (March 17–21, 2027)

The Palm Beach International Boat Show runs “along Flagler Drive in Downtown West Palm Beach,” facing Palm Beach Island. It is owned by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, a not-for-profit, and produced by Informa Markets, according to the show’s March 4, 2026 press release. The 2027 show is about a week earlier than 2026, which ran March 25–29.

The Superyacht Show at Palm Harbor

Palm Beach is where many of the largest yachts appear. For 2026, the show reported “more than 30 superyachts measuring 150 feet or longer” and “100+ superyachts with more than an 80-foot length overall,” plus “more than $1 billion worth of inventory.” The Superyacht Show is held at Palm Harbor Marina, and access “is included with both Windward VIP and General Admission tickets,” according to the show’s website.

Tickets and Windward VIP Club

2027 tickets were not yet on sale on October 30, 2026; the website said “Tickets will be available soon.” For 2026, Windward VIP Club tickets started at $430. The VIP Club is in the Lakeside Pavilion on Flagler Drive and includes an open bar and food, private restrooms, complimentary golf carts and one hour of early access through the Banyan Entrance. Guests must be 18 or older.

Two rules from the show’s FAQ matter to buyers: “Entry onto the vessels is at the discretion of the exhibitor, manufacturer, or broker,” and “All ticket sales are final.”

Next Autumn: Fort Lauderdale

The third big South Florida show, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, is running now (October 28–November 1, 2026). It is owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and also produced by Informa Markets. Its 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked. Its Superyacht Village at Pier Sixty-Six South has “the largest yachts at the show,” according to its website.

How Buying at a Boat Show Really Works

A boat show is usually where a deal starts, not where it closes. For pre-owned (brokerage) yachts, the contract used internationally is the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Law firm Stephenson Harwood describes the steps in a 2026 note:

1. Offer and contract. The buyer and seller agree the price and sign the MOA.
2. Deposit. The buyer pays a deposit to a “stakeholder,” which is “typically a broker or lawyer.” The deposit is often described as 10% (Stephenson Harwood’s note uses that figure), but under the 2021 MYBA E-MOA it “is no longer stated to be 10%” and is agreed between the parties, according to law firm Hill Dickinson, which helped draft the update.
3. Sea trial and survey. The deposit unlocks a sea trial and a condition survey with the yacht out of the water.
4. Accept or reject. After the trial, the buyer can reject the yacht only for a serious defect, within strict deadlines. Under the 2021 form, the buyer has 7 days to give notice of a defect, with a surveyor’s statement, and fuel and haul-out costs come out of the deposit if the yacht is rejected, according to Hill Dickinson.
5. Closing. Completion is often in a tax-neutral location, “where price, documents, and certificates change hands simultaneously,” according to Stephenson Harwood.

Miss a deadline and you may have to complete the purchase or lose the deposit. That is why a buyer’s broker and a maritime lawyer are worth having before you sign anything at a show. In the US, IYBA offers its members standard brokerage contracts and forms, and the Yacht Brokers Association of America runs the Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB) program, a credential worth asking about. For the full process, see our guide on how to buy a superyacht.

Florida Sales Tax on a Yacht

Florida charges sales tax at 6 percent of the price, plus any county surtax, but the total tax on one boat “may not exceed $18,000,” under section 212.05(5) of the 2026 Florida Statutes. According to the Florida Department of Revenue’s boat tax brochure (GT-800005), the county surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the price, and the $18,000 cap includes sales tax, use tax and surtax. Repairs are capped separately at $60,000 of tax each.

Buyers from outside Florida

A nonresident buying through a registered Florida dealer or broker can be exempt if the boat leaves the state in time and the conditions in section 212.05(1)(a)2 are met. In outline:

• Boats of 5 net tons or more can get a decal allowing 90 days in Florida. A $425 extension decal adds another 90 days, up to 180 days in total; the Department of Revenue says the extension must be obtained within 60 days of purchase. The 180 days “may not be tolled for any reason.”
• Smaller boats must leave within 10 days, or within 20 days after repairs are finished.
• The buyer signs an affidavit and must later give proof the boat left, such as out-of-state fuel or dockage receipts. If the rules are not met, the buyer owes use tax plus a penalty equal to the tax.

A boat bought in another state and brought into Florida within six months can owe Florida use tax, with credit for similar tax paid elsewhere, according to the Department of Revenue. Boats brought into Florida only for sale by a registered dealer or broker can be exempt from use tax if they stay in the dealer’s control and are not used personally.

Registration and Documentation

Florida law requires vessels operated, used or stored on its waters to be registered, with some exceptions (section 328.48). A boat numbered in another state can be used in Florida for a 90-day reciprocity period before it must be recorded with the state (section 328.58). Larger yachts owned by US citizens are often federally documented: a vessel of at least five net tons, wholly owned by US citizens, is eligible for US Coast Guard documentation (46 CFR 67.5), and a recreational certificate can be renewed for one to five years, according to the National Vessel Documentation Center.

Foreign-Flagged Yachts: Can a US Resident Buy One at the Show?

Generally yes, but import duty applies and the rules are strict. A foreign-flagged yacht visiting on a cruising license may be dutiable if it is offered for sale or charter to a US resident, and such a yacht “may be subject to seizure or to a monetary claim equal to the value of the vessel,” under 19 CFR 4.94(d). Yachts longer than 79 feet can instead enter under a single-entry boat-show bond for sale at a US show (19 CFR 4.94a). The bond lasts six months, duty is due within 15 days of a sale, and a yacht entered this way cannot also get a cruising license.

The industry has lobbied for years to let foreign-flagged yachts be sold to US residents in US waters; IYBA reported bills introduced in Congress in 2015 and 2017. We found no record that either became law. Ask the listing broker how the yacht entered the country before you make an offer, and if you plan to charter one, whether it is legally offered for charter to US residents.

Questions to Ask Before You Go

1. Which show suits the size of yacht I want: Miami’s Yacht Collection (up to 125 feet) or Palm Beach’s Superyacht Show?
2. Is the Windward VIP pass worth it for the early hour and the water taxis or golf carts?
3. Can the broker book a private appointment to board, since boarding is at the exhibitor’s discretion?
4. Is the yacht new or brokerage, and which contract will we sign?
5. How much is the deposit, who holds it, and when can I get it back?
6. What are the deadlines for the sea trial, the survey and a rejection notice?
7. If I am not a Florida resident, how will I qualify for the decal, and where will the boat go after 90 or 180 days?
8. Is the yacht foreign-flagged, and how did it enter the US?

The Bottom Line

Go to Miami in February for the widest choice under one ticket, and to Palm Beach in March for the biggest yachts. Consider the VIP early hour if you want to see the yachts before the crowds (boarding is still up to each exhibitor), line up a broker and a maritime lawyer before you make an offer, and know the Florida tax and foreign-flag rules before you sign.

More From Everything Luxury

• Yachts at Everything Luxury
• How to buy a superyacht
• How to charter a superyacht
• What’s new in South Florida this winter

Sources (26) · all checked October 30, 2026

• Miami International Boat Show, 2027 tickets and venues press release (Aug 14, 2026): source
• Miami International Boat Show, dates, hours and figures (undated): source
• Miami International Boat Show, Windward VIP (undated): source
• Palm Beach International Boat Show, dates, hours and figures (undated): source
• Palm Beach International Boat Show, 2026 superyachts press release (Mar 4, 2026): source
• Palm Beach International Boat Show, Windward VIP Club (undated): source
• Palm Beach International Boat Show, Superyacht Show at Palm Harbor (undated): source
• Palm Beach International Boat Show, FAQ (undated): source
• Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, about (undated): source
• Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (undated): source
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (undated): source
• International Yacht Brokers Association (undated): source
• Yacht Brokers Association of America, CPYB (undated): source
• Stephenson Harwood, Mastering the Memorandum of Agreement in yacht acquisitions (dated 02/09/2026): source
• Hill Dickinson, MYBA E-MOA 2021 (May 2, 2023): source
• Florida Statutes 2026, s. 212.05: source
• Florida Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax on Boats, GT-800005 (R. 07/24): source
• Florida Statutes 2026, s. 328.48: source
• Florida Statutes 2026, s. 328.58: source
• 46 CFR 67.5, documentation eligibility: source
• US Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (undated): source
• 19 CFR 4.94, cruising licenses: source
• 19 CFR 4.94a, boat-show bond (4-1-25 edition): source
• IYBA, foreign-flagged yacht sales bill reintroduced (May 15, 2017): source
• IYBA, let foreign-flagged yachts sell to US residents (Feb 2, 2015): source
• MYBA, The Worldwide Yachting Association (undated): source

Last updated October 30, 2026. Facts come from the sources listed above, checked on that date, and may change. Not legal, financial, tax or investment advice. Full disclaimer