Photo: Unc Taylor. Shuttle pickup and water taxi access beside the packed FLIBS docks as traffic stacks up on the bridge, Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Gridlock: Before You Visit FLIBS
FLIBS 2026 is open through Nov 1 as A1A and 17th Street traffic backs up. Here are the hours, online-only tickets, parking and water taxi options.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 29, 2026. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, known as FLIBS, opened to the general public Thursday after Wednesday's Preview Day, and traffic around the show's waterfront venues backed up quickly. By midday, cars were stacked across the bridge approach on the 17th Street corridor while show shuttles and water taxis loaded at the marina edge. A roadside message board near the docks read "A1A / 17th St Gridlock, Water Taxi Only."
The show runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, across seven venues spread between the Las Olas area, Seabreeze Boulevard and the 17th Street Causeway. For visitors, getting in and moving between docks has become as much of the story as the yachts.
Clear skies for now, heavy traffic on A1A and 17th Street
Skies over the show docks were clear Thursday after a week in which king tide flooding covered low-lying streets in parts of Broward County. Photos taken at the show show a packed marina of motor yachts and white exhibitor tents, a line of visitors at a shuttle pickup and water taxi access point, and slow-moving traffic on the bridge approach toward the 17th Street Causeway.
Local drivers reported that the main causeway was congested and that some side streets near the venues were closed or restricted for show traffic, pushing more cars onto A1A and Seabreeze Boulevard. Any rain later in the week could add to delays, since wet roads and low spots slow traffic on the barrier island. Visitors are being steered toward remote parking, the free show shuttles and the water taxi.
Seven venues, one show
FLIBS is one of the largest in-water boat shows in the world, and this year the organizer lists seven official venues:
- Bahia Mar Yachting Center (Show HQ), 801 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
- Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
- Superyacht Village, Pier Sixty-Six South, 2150 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
- Pier Sixty-Six Marina North, 2301 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
- Las Olas Marina, 240 E Las Olas Circle, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
- Hall of Fame Marina, 435 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
- Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina / 17th St Basin, 1881 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Bahia Mar serves as show headquarters and, along with Superyacht Village, hosts the Windward VIP lounges and luxury brand displays. The Convention Center holds gear, electronics, boats under 50 feet and the Kids Corner with fishing clinics. Las Olas Marina features a floating pickleball court with a crew tournament, according to the organizer.
Hours and tickets
Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Preview Day on Wednesday ran from noon to 7 p.m.
Tickets are sold online only through the official FLIBS site. The organizer says there is no box office and no ticket sales at any of the gates, so visitors who arrive without a ticket have to buy on a phone before entry. According to FLIBS, adult one-day general admission runs $48 to $73, with the top price for Preview Day, an adult two-day ticket runs $80 to $105, and Windward VIP runs $439 to $459. Children 6 to 12 are $19 and children under 6 are free. Active military and veterans receive free one-day general admission.
Parking, shuttles and the water taxi
The organizer names the Broward County Convention Center Garage, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., as the primary parking hub, at a flat $20 per day with more than 3,000 spaces. Alternative downtown options include the Galleria Mall, with valet and a water taxi line, the Riverside Hotel Garage on Las Olas, and the Brightline station garage, which connects through free Red Route shuttles.
Free official shuttles and golf carts run between all seven venues, the Convention Center and Brightline. The water taxi costs $15 for a day or $65 for a five-day pass, and is included with Windward VIP. Private boats are not allowed to dock at show venues, the organizer says.
Rules for visitors
Pets are not allowed except ADA service animals. Drones, skateboards and scooters are banned. Strollers are allowed on the docks but not aboard boats. Brokers typically ask visitors to remove shoes before boarding, so slip-on shoes are common at the show. Nearby restaurants popular with showgoers include Boatyard on the 17th Street Causeway, 15th Street Fisheries, Coconuts and the Las Olas Boulevard dining strip.
unc.wtf is not the host or an official partner of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Dates, prices and rules above are as published by the organizer at flibs.com. A longer visitor guide is on the unc.wtf Fort Lauderdale blog.