Northern Europe’s biggest boating show takes place in Helsinki together with first Baltic Sea Boating ForumThe Helsinki International Boat Show presents around 400 boats as well as accessories and equipment for boating, fishing, and water activities. In addition, Vene 26 Båt offers approximately 500 lectures and performances, and this year also features an interesting programme in English. The show will be held on 6–15 February 2026 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.

The Finnish boat industry is internationally recognised and remarkably strong in relation to the country’s size. Finland is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of small and medium-sized motorboats and is particularly known for quality, durability, and designs adapted to Nordic conditions. Measured by population, Finland has one of the highest numbers of boats in Europe: one in five Finns owns a boat. In early July 2025, there were 246,000 vessels registered in the Finnish Watercraft Register, of which 214,000 were motorboats. These figures include boats longer than 5.5 metres or boats with over 20 hp motor; smaller boats are not required to be registered. In total, there are an estimated 1 million boats in Finland. Boating is a popular leisure activity in the country, shaped by its long coastline, numerous lakes, and vast inland waters.