“Vava 2 is always one of our biggest yachts here, they often come during the film festival,” says Maddie. “They’ve held a lot of parties, which is exciting, and many people have been coming and going.

“Our yacht-owning visitors tend to come because they have friends in the industry and tickets to the festival. Generally, they want to secure the most highly coveted spots so they are all set to throw a 300-person party on board. The marina is always full during this period!”

Cannes Film Festival VIP packages set to launch in 2024

Following the success of their Miami F1 Grand Prix VIP packages launched in May, IGY has exciting plans to roll out exclusive red carpet experiences for Trident Collective members and marina clients during the Cannes Film Festival next year.

“It’s very much at the exploratory design and ideas stage currently but we are planning to refine what we did at F1 for next year,” reveals Debbie. “Cannes Film Festival is another key event which touches the port and our Trident members and marina clientele will be able to take advantage of their connection with the marina to tie in with activities at the festival.

“We have yet to decide exactly what the package needs to look like, and which partners we need to reach out to in order to make it happen. It’s early days but we will definitely have something exciting in place for next year’s film festival.”

Exciting redevelopment plans unfolding 

IGY was awarded the concession to manage Vieux-Port de Cannes in March 2022, and the team is working alongside the city of Cannes to support a four-year redevelopment plan to bring the marina up to date. This includes a new crew and captain terminal and staff offices, a reconstructed Jetée Albert Edouard Sud specifically to berth larger yachts, an underground car park and extended public areas of parkland adjacent to the water, which will create further cohesion on the walkway between la Bocca and the Croisette.

“The works will elevate the space and bring it into this century with updated tech, more space for bigger superyachts and increased accessibility for the public,” says Maddie. “A new open-air market for the fishermen to sell their catch will be finished in June, because it’s very important to shine a light on the tradition of Cannes being a fishing village originally.

“During the festival we also launched the first-ever edition of Vieux-Port de Cannes Magazine highlighting all that Cannes has to offer as well as interviews with IGY CEO Tom Mukamal, Fayat CEO Jean-Claude Fayat, Mayor of Cannes David Lisnard and President of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès Jean-Michel Arnaud.”

True to the spirit of Cannes, Debbie believes the upgrade represents a perfect union, marrying the history of the port with state of the art architecture and technology. “It will provide a more panoramic viewpoint, improve the facilities for fishermen and users of the port and uplift public access. We’re aiming for an elevated user experience across all sectors of the marina without losing that traditional Cannes feel.

“With the port going through redevelopment until 2027, having these key pockets of activity at events and trying to encompass and spread these events into the port is vital.

“We do a lot with clients and crew but we’re discovering that brand-orientated launches can add another dimension to the main event. It re-emphasises that the whole of Cannes has a real pull and provides the perfect platform while you have a captive audience - and we have a great team to make it happen.”