Rijeka Boat Show: every autumn the boats moor along the Riva

Every autumn, motor boats, dinghies and work boats tie up along Gat Karoline Riječke, the pier on the Riva in Rijeka. For four days, Thursday to Sunday, the pier becomes the Rijeka Boat Show. The fair dates back to 1984, when Rijeka hosted Croatia's first nautical fair. It now falls in the last week of September or the first week of October. The 2026 edition, the 42nd, ran from 24 to 27 September. More than 100 exhibitors from Croatia and abroad showed boats, engines and equipment on 5,000 square metres.

Rijeka Boat Show 2027

As of 20 October 2026, the organisers have published no date for the 2027 show. Neither the official site rijekaboatshow.hr nor the City of Rijeka lists one yet. The last four editions all ran from Thursday to Sunday on Gat Karoline Riječke:

• 2023: 5 to 8 October, according to a review published in Novi list.
• 2024: the 40th edition, 3 to 6 October, opened on Thursday 3 October, Novi list reported.
• 2025: the 41st edition, 25 to 28 September, as announced in Novi list.
• 2026: the 42nd edition, 24 to 27 September, according to the organisers and the City of Rijeka.

These dates show a pattern, and the 2027 date still needs official confirmation. In 2026 the City of Rijeka published the dates, hours and prices on 22 September, two days before the opening. News appears first on rijekaboatshow.hr and on rijeka.hr.

From Nautica to Rijeka Boat Show

The fair started in 1984 under the name Nautica. In 2013 it became the Rijeka Nautic Show. In 2019 new organisers took over, renamed it the Rijeka Boat Show and changed the concept, the official site says. Ivan Črnjarić directs the fair. In 2025 he called it the seventh edition run by the current team. The 2026 catalogue names Thorax d.o.o. as its publisher and carries the motto “Where CITY is PORT, where PORT is CITY”.

Recent editions grew step by step. In 2024 heavy rain moved the opening of the 40th show indoors, and Mayor Marko Filipović opened it. The Sampa 8H passenger boat, built by Brodomehanika Brnabić in Banjol on Rab, had its world premiere that year. In 2025 the full 5,000 square metres sold out. Four exhibitors came from China and one from Turkey, and a five-metre pasara, a traditional small boat, had its world premiere.

Boats in the sea, engines on the pier

The show uses the sea and the pier. Boats lie in the water, and smaller craft, engines and equipment stand on land. On show are motor boats, inflatables, leisure and work boats, outboard engines, navigation and safety gear and boat accessories, the City of Rijeka reported. Exhibitors present new models, meet buyers and offer show-only terms. The 2026 floor plan shows a large tent, a central area, a café bar and 55 numbered spaces.

In 2026 the programme included demonstration rides. The catalogue listed boats from Jeanneau, Beneteau, Saxdor and Prua Al Vento, outboards from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Mercury and Selva, Sea-Doo jet skis, and Lowrance and Simrad electronics. Exhibitors came from Croatia and Slovenia, among others. Next to the dealers, the catalogue also listed:

• The Rijeka harbour master's office, the Port of Rijeka Authority and the Rijeka maritime police.
• Jadrolinija, the Croatian ferry company, based on the Riva.
• Charter operators, among them Euromarine, the Croatian importer of Jeanneau boats.
• A diving firm with services and equipment for underwater work.
• DUBoak, an interpretation centre for maritime heritage in Malinska on Krk.
• Craft stalls with rope knotwork, string art pictures of boats and wooden model sailing boats.

Tickets and opening hours

In 2026 a ticket cost €5, and children under 12 entered free. The show opened daily from 10:00 to 19:00 and closed at 18:00 on Sunday. The official opening took place on Thursday at 11:00. In 2024 Novi list listed €5 for adults, €2 for schoolchildren and free entry for preschool children. Prices and hours for the next edition appear on rijekaboatshow.hr.

Getting there and parking

Gat Karoline Riječke lies on the Riva in the centre of Rijeka, and the organisers give their address as Riva 8. Long-distance buses arrive at the bus station on Žabica, also in the city centre, Visit Rijeka says. Buses link Rijeka with Zagreb, Split, Pula and Dubrovnik, and with Ljubljana and Trieste across the border.

The city company Rijeka plus runs the public car parks in the centre. Its list includes these four:

• Delta: 496 spaces, €0.80 an hour.
• Srednja Delta: 596 spaces, €1.30 an hour.
• Putnička obala, the passenger quay: €1.00 an hour.
• Zagrad B garage: 298 spaces, €0.80 an hour.

Paid parking ends at 21:00. The Rijeka plus website shows the number of free spaces in real time.

Rijeka around the pier

The city centre begins at the edge of the pier. The market halls of the Placa open early. The old town walk passes a Roman arch and a round cathedral in an hour. From Titov trg, the Petar Kružić Stairs climb 561 steps to Trsat castle. A full plan is in Rijeka in one day and in our Rijeka city guide.

Another autumn boat show follows in October. The Biograd Boat Show fills Marina Kornati in Biograd na Moru; the 2026 dates are 21 to 25 October. Details are in our Biograd Boat Show guide.

Rijeka Boat Show 2026 in review

The 42nd Rijeka Boat Show ran from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September 2026 on Gat Karoline Riječke. More than 100 exhibitors from Croatia and abroad filled 5,000 square metres. A year earlier the show had a record 110 exhibitors and sold out its space, the City of Rijeka said. Ahead of the opening the organisers expected about 8,000 visitors. Their closing report spoke of great interest and gave no figure.

Two boats had their Croatian premiere. The Italian Prua Al Vento WA 5.7 is a compact walkaround with a sliding plexiglass door on its cabin. The Jeanneau Cap Camarat 9.0 CC Series 2 came with the importer Euromarine. Demonstration rides ran alongside the exhibition.

At the opening, director Ivan Črnjarić said the fair could grow larger still. Ivan Herak of the marina chain ACI said current concession procedures could give the show more space and open the way for the Porto Baroš marina. Antonija Kardum, director of the Rijeka Tourist Board, called nautical tourism an essential part of the city's offer. Deputy county prefect Robert Matić said Primorje-Gorski Kotar County keeps investing in nautical infrastructure. The organisers' closing report ties any expansion of the fair to the revival of Porto Baroš.