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A 30 to 40m motor yacht in Cannes in 2026 high season runs $140,000 to $225,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and has the best port-access economics of any Western Med destination in the bracket. Film Festival week (12 to 23 May 2026) and Yachting Festival week (8 to 13 September 2026) both carry premium pricing that runs 35 to 60 percent above the season baseline. Outside the two festival windows the Cannes mid-bracket is the most reliably bookable in the Western Med.
Why the bracket fits Cannes specifically
Cannes is a two-port destination with deep mid-bracket capacity. The Vieux Port (Port Cannes) handles up to roughly 50m with a slip count in the 30 to 40m bracket that is two to three times the equivalent count in Saint-Tropez. Port Pierre Canto, a kilometre east, handles up to 60m and absorbs overflow during festival weeks. Charter clients who want to be inside one of the two harbours overnight, rather than at anchor in the Baie de Cannes, have a substantially better chance in this bracket than at 40m and up.
The bracket also fits the Cannes day pattern. The Iles de Lerins (Sainte-Marguerite, Saint-Honorat) are 1nm offshore; Theoule and the Esterel coast 6nm west; Cap d'Antibes 8nm east; Cannes-Antibes-Nice-Monaco a 24nm port-hopping run that the bracket can do in a single charter week without repositioning fatigue. The Esterel anchorages (Agay, Le Trayas) are where the Cannes fleet hides during festival weeks; the bracket is the right size to sit there comfortably for a night.
Weekly rate map for 2026
Ranges below are for high season (mid-July to late August) in 2026, before APA at 30 percent, gratuity at 10 percent, and French VAT under the French commercial exemption rules. Festival weeks (May Film, September Yachting) are priced separately and are not included in the table.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $140K to $170K per week | $105K to $140K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $160K to $195K per week | $125K to $165K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $185K to $225K per week | $145K to $190K per week |
Festival-week premium. Add roughly 35 to 50 percent to the corresponding peak summer rate for Film Festival week, and 40 to 60 percent for Yachting Festival week. Yachting Festival is the larger premium because the entire central Vieux Port is closed to charter and inventory is forced into Port Pierre Canto or off-anchor.
Shoulder season (mid-May to mid-June outside Film Festival, and after 20 September outside Yachting Festival) drops the peak figures by 20 to 30 percent. The first half of October is the best Cannes value window of the year.
For broader context, see Mediterranean charter weekly rates and the Cannes destination page.
What you actually get in the Cannes fleet at this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabins for 10 guests is the standard; 4-cabin owner-spec yachts are less common than in Saint-Tropez because the Cannes fleet is more weighted toward commercial charter operators with sister offices in Monaco and Antibes.
Crew. 7 to 9. Cannes is the easiest Riviera port for last-minute crew swaps because of the Antibes crew agency density 8nm east. A yacht with a crew issue in Cannes can typically replace mid-charter inside 24 hours; this is not true at Saint-Tropez or at Porto Cervo.
Tenders. Two main tenders is standard, frequently one Riva-style display tender and one beach-landing tender for Lerins. Jet skis are common; some Riviera ports restrict use, so the day pattern is set by the captain, not the charter client.
At-anchor stabilizers. Useful but not as critical as in Saint-Tropez. The Baie de Cannes is more protected from afternoon onshore swell than Pampelonne.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end of the bracket because the Nice-Cannes helicopter shuttle is the practical airport transfer. Touch-and-go saves roughly 90 minutes round trip during festival weeks.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The Cannes-Antibes-Monaco week. Embark Cannes, Lerins day, Antibes (evening), Cap Ferrat anchorage, Monaco (two nights), return Cannes via Esterel. Seven nights. The bracket fits everywhere on this run.
The eastern-Riviera-plus-Corsica cross. Embark Cannes, Lerins, Saint-Tropez, then Calvi (Corsica), Saint-Florent, return via Porquerolles to Cannes. Ten nights. Best in late June or early September.
The festival-week stationary. Embark Cannes Port Pierre Canto or anchor, base the yacht as the hospitality platform for the festival, day-trip Lerins and Esterel between events. Five to seven nights. The bracket is the smallest size that holds production parties for 30 to 40 people on the aft deck without crowding.
For destination context, see Charter Cannes and Charter French Riviera.
Where this bracket falls short in Cannes
Last-minute festival weeks. Cannes festival inventory in the bracket clears 9 to 14 months out. A charter client asking for Film Festival inside 8 weeks of the festival should expect anchored-off-Baie-de-Cannes only, with tender transfers into Port Cannes that compete with 200 other yachts of the same plan.
Single-yacht hospitality for 30-plus guests. The 30 to 40m bracket aft deck handles 25 to 30 seated comfortably and 35 to 40 standing. Above that, hospitality-week clients should size up to 50m and the trade-off is loss of Vieux Port access.
Long-passage weeks west. Cannes is a corridor base, not a passage base. Mallorca and Ibiza passages are awkward from Cannes; charter clients planning a Balearic run should reposition from Cannes to Saint-Tropez or Porto Vecchio at the start.
Our pick
For two couples, seven days in late June: a 33m motor yacht with 4 cabins, Cannes-Antibes-Monaco week. Budget $170K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $265K. Booking lead time: 5 to 7 months.
For a family of 8 to 10, ten days in early August: a 38m motor yacht with 5 cabins, Cannes-Saint-Tropez-Corsica cross. Budget $215K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $330K. Booking lead time: 8 to 10 months.
For Film Festival hospitality, twelve guests, five nights: a 38m motor yacht based Port Pierre Canto. Budget $165K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $260K, with the festival premium baked into the gross rate. Booking lead time: 9 to 12 months. Inside 6 months, the Film Festival week is largely closed at this bracket.
Build year and refit
The Cannes 30 to 40m fleet is the most refit-active in the Western Med because of Antibes IYCA yard density 8nm east. A 2012 to 2018 build with a 2022 or later refit is the realistic value zone. The festival-week premium does not differentiate by build year as sharply as the summer-anchor market does; an older yacht with a recent refit will hold festival pricing if the AV spec is current.