The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show runs October 28 through November 1, 2026. This year it arrives while the East Las Olas Boulevard Bridge is still under rehabilitation and carrying one lane of traffic in each direction. The show uses six venues on both sides of the Intracoastal. Last year it drew more than 100,000 visitors and displayed more than 1,300 vessels, according to the November 2025 post-show release from Informa Markets, which produces the event. In past years, show week squeezed a normal road network. This year a reduced crossing absorbs the same week.
That changes which part of the show's logistics matters to someone who lives here. The shuttle loops, water taxis and garage hubs were built for visitors. In 2026 they also give residents the clearest way to keep a weekday moving.
The Bridge Was Narrowed Before the Boats Arrived
The City of Fort Lauderdale posted the Florida Department of Transportation advisory on September 17, 2026. FDOT planned a full 48-hour closure of the East Las Olas Boulevard Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway to shift traffic for the rehabilitation project. Weather postponed the first attempt. A September 25 update moved the closure to Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. through Thursday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m.
When the bridge reopened, the north side closed and all traffic moved to the south side, with one lane open each way. Pedestrians and cyclists use the south side, and the north sidewalk is closed. The city says this setup will stay in place through late 2026. So the narrowed crossing lasts through all five show days, starting with Preview Day.
One of the show's venues sits on the same Las Olas corridor. Las Olas Marina is hosting vessels from 60 to more than 200 feet this year, and the official 2026 transportation map lists show parking there at 240 Las Olas Circle.
Six Venues, Spread Across the Water
Where the traffic goes depends on where the show is. The official 2026 maps list six sites, and Visit Lauderdale's September 8 guide describes what each one holds.
| Venue | What it holds in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Broward County Convention Center | Fishing boats, cruisers, personal watercraft, marine accessories, "The Blue Wild" exhibit, FLIBS Kids Corner |
| Bahia Mar Yachting Center | Center consoles through superyachts, accessories and electronics, one of two Windward VIP locations |
| Pier Sixty-Six North | Newly reimagined display of brokerage vessels over 100 feet |
| Superyacht Village | The show's largest vessels and the second Windward VIP location |
| Hall of Fame Marina | New-build yachts |
| Las Olas Marina | Vessels from 60 to more than 200 feet |
Some of the show's FAQ language still says "seven waterfront locations," which was also the count in the 2025 ticket release. The 2026 maps and the visitor bureau both list six, and this post uses six.
Two of these sites are the hubs everything else connects to. The Convention Center is the show's official transportation hub, and Bahia Mar is the endpoint for most of the shuttle and water taxi routes. Based on the published routes, the busiest show-week movement will run between the Convention Center, downtown along Las Olas and the Riverside Hotel, Pier Sixty-Six, Bahia Mar and Las Olas Marina. That is a reading of the route map. Neither the city nor the show has issued a traffic forecast.
The Clock Matters More Than the Map
The show's hours and its transit hours don't match, and the gap shows when the roads will be busiest.
| Day | Show hours | Water taxi and shuttle hours |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Oct. 28 (Preview Day) | Noon to 7 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Friday, Oct. 30 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 1 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Shuttles start an hour before the gates open and run until an hour after they close. The arrival rush starts at 9 a.m. Thursday through Sunday and at 11 a.m. on Preview Day. The exit rush stretches to 8 p.m. on most days and to 6 p.m. on Sunday. A dentist appointment at 8:30 a.m. or an errand across the bridge at 2 p.m. falls in a quieter window. A 6:45 p.m. dinner reservation near the water lands right in the departure wave. Saturday, Oct. 31, is also Halloween, which puts a full show day and a holiday evening on the same date.
The Visitor Network Is the Resident Workaround
The show's transportation plan tries to keep cars off the barrier island. It offers more than 3,000 parking spaces at the Convention Center garage, 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, at $20 a day. The 2026 map also lists the Brightline Station Garage at 101 NW 2nd Avenue, Bank of America Plaza at 401 E. Las Olas Boulevard and the Las Olas Marina lot.
Free shuttle loops connect those lots to the venues:
- Convention Center to Bahia Mar and Superyacht Village, the main loop that keeps traffic flowing between the port side of the show and the beach.
- Brightline Station to the Riverside Hotel, a downtown link for anyone coming by rail. The 2026 map marks this stop.
- West Marine's Marine Center to Bahia Mar, a separate route.
- Golf carts between Superyacht Village and Bahia Mar, running during show hours only.
The water taxi network crosses the Intracoastal without using any bridge. The show lists four routes:
- Riverside Hotel to Bahia Mar
- Convention Center to Pier Sixty-Six Marina North to Bahia Mar
- GALLERYone DoubleTree to Bahia Mar
- Shooters Waterfront to Las Olas Marina
A one-day water taxi ticket costs $15, and a five-day ticket costs $65. For a resident, the second route is the useful one. It links the Convention Center garage to the beach-side venues by water, with no crossing over the narrowed Las Olas bridge.
These options also help residents who aren't going to the show. Every visitor who parks at the Convention Center, takes Brightline downtown or rides a water taxi is one fewer car on the single eastbound and westbound lanes over the Intracoastal. Friends visiting for show week will get the most out of the trip by using the same system.
If You Are Going This Year
The 67th edition has a few changes that reward people who live close enough to drop in for an afternoon. Las Olas Marina is hosting a floating pickleball court and a yacht-crew tournament. Pier Sixty-Six North has been reworked as the display area for brokerage vessels longer than 100 feet. Windward VIP now pairs its Superyacht Village lounge with a Cabana Club that has moved to Bahia Mar. Informa's 2025 ticket release had placed that Cabana Club at Hall of Fame Marina.
Families can find the "Hook the Future" kids fishing clinic with Don Dingman at the Convention Center at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Participants take home a free rod and reel.
Tickets are sold online only, with no box office at the show. Options include Preview Day tickets, a Preview Day plus general admission pass, one- and two-day adult general admission, child admission and one-day Windward VIP. Adult one-day admission is $48 this year, up from $46 in 2025. Two-day admission is $80, up from $77, and ticketing fees may apply.
What Has Not Been Published Yet
As of October 4, the city newsroom has no traffic notice specific to the boat show for A1A, Seabreeze Boulevard, the 17th Street Causeway or show-week bridge openings. Its latest posts date to September 30. Notices like these may still come out in the next three weeks. The city's LauderStreet road and sidewalk closures page lets you search current and upcoming closures by location and date. It is the place to check before driving east on any show day.
The Bahia Mar redevelopment is also still unconfirmed. A June 2025 Sun Sentinel report said the developers expected the first phase to break ground in summer 2026. We found no later report confirming that work began. The city's boat show page still lists Bahia Mar Yachting Center as a 2026 venue. For now, the most reliable rule for show week is the one on the city's bridge advisory: one lane each way on East Las Olas through late 2026.
Show week is when Fort Lauderdale's waterfront gets the most international attention, and owners near the Intracoastal often start thinking about what that attention means for their own property. If you'd like to know where your home stands before the season begins, The Paiz Group can prepare a private valuation built on the waterfront knowledge we use every day. Get Your Home Value.
