Newport Beach International Boat Show 2026 guide | Edmiston luxury yacht charters, sales & VIP experiences
With over 200 vessels, more than 40 immersive experiences and in excess of 75 on-water exhibitors – all set against the backdrop of decadent SoCal culture and lifestyle – the Newport Beach International Boat Show is quickly becoming a must-attend event in the global yachting calendar. From 16-19 April, discover how Edmiston can elevate your NBIBS 2026 visit into an unforgettable experience with luxury yacht charters, yacht sales expertise, and bespoke VIP services.
What Is the Newport Beach International Boat Show?
Having relaunched in 2023 following a hiatus of a few years, the new-look Newport Beach International Boat Show (NBIBS) has quickly established itself as a beacon of the Southern Californian lifestyle and one of the key places for the yachting community to gather each spring.
Held from 16 to 19 April at the Lido Marina Village, the Newport Beach International Boat Show 2026, will once more bring together yacht owners, buyers and travellers with a taste for the luxury lifestyle, in the fashionable seaside resort, which has long been known for its refined approach to leisure and yacht culture.
Event highlights for Newport Beach International Boat Show 2026
The idyllic setting of Newport Beach – a coastal haven renowned for its sheltered bays, award-winning restaurants, and buzzy boating community – has so far proved a hit with the voguish Orange County crowd since the show’s relaunch.
NBIBS 2026 will build on the success of the previous three years, with the show attracting thousands of visitors to its pontoons and shore-based events each year looking to savour the unique sailing ambience.
This year, organisers are expecting in excess of around 5,000 visitors per day – around 20,000 across the four days of the show – looking to both buy and charter yachts in the Newport Beach and wider Californian region.
This year’s Newport Beach Boat Show will see more than 200 boats take to the water – from long-range full displacement yachts from the likes of Nordhavn to sailing yachts from French yard Jeanneau and high-performance tenders – as well as dozens of shorebased exhibitors.
Guests can look forward to enjoying lots of lively entertainment between yacht tours, more than 40 immersive experiences, plus some carefully curated luxury showcases celebrating marine innovation, design, and craftsmanship, aimed to tempt them out on the water.
As one of Southern California’s premier waterfront boat shows, NBIBS is a chance for visitors to engage in some nautical networking, catching up with yachting friends, and find out about the joys of both chartering and owning a yacht on the USA’s west coast.
While there will be a chance to meet with key industry figures throughout the show to discuss both commercial and leisure opportunities, for early access to the yachts and a more exclusive environment, the invitation-only preview opening night on 16 April is encouraged for Edmiston’s VIP guests.
Setting the tone for the days ahead, the preview night is a chance to hold crucial conversations about buying opportunities in a more intimate atmosphere and to meet the people who matter.
Edmiston’s presence at NBIBS 2026
Edmiston continues to strengthen its presence at the Newport International Boat Show, drawn by the relaxed nautical character of this stretch of coastline just south of Los Angeles.
On the ground, Kent Harrington and Phil Brewster will provide dedicated sales and charter coverage, offering clients informed guidance throughout the show. Alongside this, Edmiston will have a branded presence and access to the VIP lounge, providing a private space for clients to sit, meet and step away from the pace of the event.
For an international clientele, our service is shaped by discretion, access and careful planning. Clients can expect private yacht viewings, tailored itineraries and support designed around individual requirements. With extensive experience assisting clients at the world’s leading boat shows, Edmiston can also arrange access to the show’s VIP lounge and invitation-only preview evening.
Newport Beach yacht sales and brokerage opportunities
Newport Beach is an important hub for yacht sales, and with the boat show attracting a global audience of brokers, boatyards, designers, charterers and owners to its shores, its star is seemingly on the rise.
As a global authority in luxury yacht sales, charter, and advisory services and trusted Newport yacht broker, Edmiston is well placed in making all the right introductions and can share its expert insights, plus design bespoke itineraries.
Contact an Edmiston yacht broker [add link] to arrange viewing opportunities at NBIBS 2026.
Experiencing NBIBS from the Water: Luxury Newport Beach yacht charters
Sometimes referred to as the Hamptons of the west coast, Newport Beach is imbued with a strong yachting heritage and is home to numerous longstanding yacht clubs, marinas and anchorages.
For more than a century, it has been the vacation spot of choice for Hollywood’s finest, with everyone from John Wayne to Dean Martin having holidayed on private yachts in its protected harbour.
Today, it’s lost none of its Tinseltown appeal. The eight-mile coastline of the Balboa Peninsula is home to exclusive communities and gorgeous beaches and Newport Beach yacht charters with Edmiston are your way in – offering the kind of access others can only dream of.
Guests looking to charter a yacht in these refined waters can get a taste of the easygoing boating lifestyle of Orange County, by pulling into some of the dock-and-dine seafood restaurants, such as the legendary Rusty Pelican, while world-class surfing is best experienced at the ‘Wedge’ or Corona Del Mar.
Newport Beach Harbor is also known for its rich marine life and you’ll never forget the time you saw a whale breach from the comfort of your sun deck, or how it felt to swim with dolphins in these pristine waters.
Further afield, a charter through California’s Channel Islands rewards yachting guests with more wonderful wildlife opportunities as well as the chance to set foot inside some of the iconic venues of Santa Catalina, including the Hollywood magnet that is the art deco Catalina Casino, where Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe once partied.
Meanwhile, Laguna Beach offers the chance to step ashore and soak up the atmosphere of the Orange Country’s cool art colony-cum-surf town.
Guests looking to extend their stay with a Newport Beach yacht charter after the show can also watch the start of the 78th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race – a 126-mile sailing race that starts in Newport Beach and ends in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and which this year takes place on 24 April.
Whatever you’d like to get from your Newport Beach yacht charter, Edmiston’s in-the-know teams can design tailored itineraries and exemplary onboard service to ensure the smoothest of sailings.
Plan your visit to the Newport Beach boat show with Edmiston
Talk to your Edmiston broker today to book a Newport Beach yacht charter or to take advantage of the personalised advice, private viewings, and expert advice offered by our team throughout the Newport Beach International Boat Show 2026.