Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2026: A Ground Logistics Guide

The Antigua Charter Yacht Show returns to Nelson's Dockyard from Friday 4 to Wednesday 9 December 2026, the 65th year since yachts first gathered in English Harbour in 1961. It is a working show for charter brokers, captains and yacht managers, spread across three marinas on Antigua's south coast, and the days are tightly scheduled. On an island where the airport sits on the opposite coast, the way you move between landing strip, hotel and pontoon decides how many yachts you actually see.

The event at a glance

The show is organised from the Copper and Lumber Store Hotel inside Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hospitality desk there is where credentials and colour-coded badges are collected, and the badge has to be worn at all show functions. Attendance requires advance registration through the official site, with separate categories for yachts, brokers and agents, vendors and press.

The published 2026 schedule, which the organisers note may still be updated, runs as follows:

• Friday 4 December: hospitality desk and check-in from mid-afternoon, then the Antigua Sundowner Evening at Boom Restaurant and Bar from 18:30.
• Saturday 5 to Monday 7 December: yachts open for viewing 09:30 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17:30 at Nelson's Dockyard Marina, Antigua Superyacht Marina and Resort, and Falmouth Harbour Marina, with the Concours de Chef judged across these three days by yacht length.
• Evenings: a welcome networking supper at Copper and Lumber on Saturday, a marina night at Antigua Superyacht Marina and Falmouth Harbour on Sunday, and a Nelson's Dockyard Marina night on Monday.
• Tuesday 8 December: final viewing day, ending with yachts sounding their horns at 17:30, the Concours de Chef prize giving, and the after-show party at Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre.
• Wednesday 9 December: optional Sail Day, with selected yachts taking brokers out on short charters. Arrangements are made directly with management companies.

More than 70 yachts and over 250 brokers and managers are expected, according to the organisers.

Arriving: airports and private aviation

Antigua has one international gateway, V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU), on the north-east side of the island near St. John's. The organisers list scheduled services from the UK with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, from the United States with American Airlines and Caribbean Airlines, and from Canada with Air Canada and WestJet. The show runs meet and greet desks at the airport on 3 and 4 December.

For private aviation, Signature Antigua operates the FBO at ANU. Its published hours for the first part of 2026 were 06:00 to 20:00 local time, so confirm current opening hours and any after-hours call-out arrangements with the operator before filing a late arrival. If you are connecting from a US gateway, ask your handler how customs and immigration will be processed on the day.

The drive from ANU to English Harbour covers roughly 20 to 22 km over gentle hills. Published estimates put it at about 30 minutes, but on the afternoon of 4 December, when many attendees land and head south, we suggest allowing 40 to 50 minutes and planning around the check-in window.

Getting around during the event

Antigua drives on the left, and the roads around English Harbour are narrow and steep in places. The three show marinas are close on the map but not in practice: Nelson's Dockyard and Falmouth Harbour sit on two neighbouring bays, and Antigua Superyacht Marina lies on the Falmouth side. The organisers run a water link between Antigua Superyacht Marina and Falmouth Harbour Marina during viewing hours from 5 to 8 December, and chauffeured golf carts circulate inside the Dockyard itself.

A few timings matter more than distance:

• Morning starts: breakfast and the hospitality desk open at 07:30, and from Sunday the sponsor briefings begin at 07:45. If you are staying at a resort further along the coast, a 07:00 departure is sensible.
• The lunch break: viewing pauses from 12:30 to 13:30. This is the moment to move between marinas, not to queue for the first afternoon slot.
• Evening changeovers: viewing ends at 17:30 and evening events start at 19:00. Hotel returns for a change of clothes are feasible only if you are within a few minutes of the Dockyard.
• After the party: Tuesday's after-show party is up at Dow's Hill, above the harbour. Arrange your onward car in advance and agree a pick-up point, because the hill road is steep and evening demand is concentrated at closing time.

A car and chauffeur on an hourly basis suits this format well: the car waits at whichever marina you are in and repositions while you are on board.

Where the city concentrates

The show lives in a small triangle on the south coast. Inside Nelson's Dockyard, two historic properties put you on the quay: the Copper and Lumber Store Hotel, set in an 18th-century naval storehouse, and the Admiral's Inn and Gunpowder Suites, spread across several historic buildings around the Dockyard with suites across the harbour. Both are walkable to the hospitality desk and Nelson's Dockyard Marina.

On the edge of English Harbour, The Inn at English Harbour is a short drive from the Dockyard. Further west along the south coast, resorts such as Carlisle Bay and Curtain Bluff offer more space and privacy at the cost of a longer daily commute. The organisers also list St James's Club at Mamora Bay among recommended hotels.

Beyond the show, Shirley Heights Lookout, high above the Dockyard, holds its well-known sunset party on Sunday afternoons into the evening. On 6 December it overlaps with the Sunday marina night, so decide in advance which one you are attending and plan the car accordingly.

A sample day

A typical Saturday or Sunday for a broker or owner's representative:

• 07:00: depart the hotel for the Dockyard.
• 07:30: breakfast and badge check at Copper and Lumber, followed on Sunday by the 07:45 briefing.
• 09:30: first viewings at Nelson's Dockyard Marina, on foot or by golf cart.
• 11:30: transfer to Falmouth Harbour Marina for late-morning appointments.
• 12:30: lunch near Falmouth, then cross by water to Antigua Superyacht Marina.
• 13:30 to 17:30: afternoon viewings, with the car repositioning to collect you at the last pontoon.
• 18:00: return to the hotel to change, if staying close.
• 19:00: evening event, which runs until 23:00.
• 23:15: pre-arranged pick-up and return to the hotel before midnight.

Booking windows and what to confirm

Accommodation close to the Dockyard is limited, so reserve as soon as your registration is confirmed. Book private aviation slots and FBO handling at least four to six weeks out, and earlier if you plan to arrive on 3 or 4 December, the busiest arrival days.

Before travelling, confirm with the organiser:

• your registration category and badge colour
• which yachts you have appointments on, and in which marina they are berthed
• whether the Sail Day on 9 December has space, through the yacht's management company
• any late changes to the schedule, which the organisers say is still being updated

With your aviation operator, confirm FBO opening hours, customs arrangements and the exact handover point for your car on the apron or at the terminal kerb.

Travelling with GIORIZZ

GIORIZZ coordinates chauffeur, airport transfers and ground logistics in Antigua on request, through its concierge and selected partners. That can include meeting you at the Signature FBO or the main terminal, a car on standby across the three marinas, and timed evening returns. Through our Air and Sea Concierge we can also help arrange private jet, helicopter and tender or yacht connections around the show. English is guaranteed, and other languages are available on request.

For brokers, management companies and teams travelling together, our corporate service handles multi-car schedules, and our concierge can plan the rest of the trip, including onward travel to the Mediterranean or a few days in Sicily after the season. You can read what past guests say in our reviews, and if you are also covering the US circuit, see our Fort Lauderdale Boat Show guide.

Request a quote with your arrival details, hotel and show schedule.