TFWA Cannes 2026

Bringing together the best minds in the industry, TFWA Cannes is a standout event in the world of travel and duty-free retail. The 2025 edition attracted nearly 8,000 visitors and 482 exhibiting brands from across the globe, and this year is expected to be bigger and better than ever before. The Silver Crane Company will be attending TFWA Cannes 2026, so make sure you come and visit us at Booth G3 in the Blue Village, where you’ll discover the latest tin packaging innovations for the travel retail sector.

Key information

• Start Date: Sunday, 27th of September 2026
• End Date: Thursday, 1st of October 2026
• Duration: 5-day in-person event
• Venue: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France

About the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026

The TFWA World Exhibition & Conference is one of the world’s largest travel retail and duty-free trade shows, organised annually by the Tax Free World Association (TFWA). This B2B event exclusively serves professionals and organisations within the travel retail sector, with exhibitors showcasing products and innovations across categories including confectionery, travel accessories, spirits, cosmetics, luxury gifts and much more.

Since the first event over 40 years ago, TFWA Cannes has established itself as the flagship exhibition for the duty-free and travel retail industry. As well as showcasing hundreds of world-leading brands, TFWA Cannes is famed for its extensive networking opportunities. After the exhibition halls close each day, the networking continues at the TFWA Lounge on Carlton Beach. From Monday to Wednesday, delegates can unwind at the after-work sessions running from 18:30 to 21:00 CET. For 2026, the night-time sessions have been extended to run from Monday to Wednesday, with the final evening running until 02:00 CET. Monday and Tuesday night-time sessions remain at 22:00 to 01:00 CET. These beachside gatherings provide the perfect opportunity to form or strengthen new business relationships in a beautiful, relaxed setting. There is nothing quite like it on the trade show calendar.

The main conference takes place on Monday, 28th of September from 09:00 to 11:45 CET at the Grand Auditorium, moderated once again by journalist Stephen Sackur. This year’s theme is ‘Shaping the World of Travel Retail’, with confirmed speakers including economist David McWilliams on geopolitics and trade dynamics, Gilles Roucolle of Oliver Wyman on the future of travel and mobility, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg on human behaviour and the consumer of the future. Last year’s theme, ‘Explore New Horizons’, set a high bar and this year’s lineup looks just as strong.

The 2024 event welcomed 7,456 visitors from over 100 countries and featured 462 exhibiting brands. And last year’s event was even bigger, welcoming a record 7,999 visitors, with 482 brands showcasing across the Palais des Festivals. Another clear sign that TFWA Cannes continues to grow year on year. Exhibiting brands are spread across multiple villages within the Palais des Festivals, with buyers representing major airports, airlines, cruise lines and downtown duty-free operators. With similar growth expected for 2026, this year’s event looks set to be the strongest edition yet. TFWA Cannes remains the place to be for discovering new product launches, building partnerships and keeping up with the trends driving travel retail forward.

Event Information for TFWA Cannes 2026

If you’re planning to attend the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in 2026, here’s everything you need to know. All times listed are in Central European Time (CET), which is the local time zone for Cannes, France.

• Location: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France. The venue is an iconic convention centre on Cannes’ famous seafront promenade, also home to the renowned Cannes Film Festival.
• Main Event Dates: Sunday 27th September – Thursday 1st October 2026
• Exhibition Floor Opening Hours:
  • Sunday: Exhibition closed (pre-show events only)
  • Monday: 12:00 pm – 6:30 pm (opens after the morning conference)
  • Tuesday to Wednesday: 9:00 am – 6:30 pm
  • Thursday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Floor plan: View the TFWA Cannes 2026 floor plan
• Conference: The main TFWA World Conference takes place on:
  • Monday, 28th September from 9:00 am to 11:45 am
• TFWA Lounge Networking: After the exhibition halls close, networking continues at the TFWA Lounge on Carlton Beach:
  • After-work sessions: Monday to Wednesday: 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
  • Night-time sessions: Monday and Tuesday: 10:00 pm – 01:00 am, Wednesday: 10:00 pm – 02:00 am
• Sunday Events:
  • ‘Yes We Cannes!’ blind football & wheelchair rugby tournament from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, co-organised by TFWA
  • Opening Cocktail at 7:00 pm on Carlton Beach
• Pre-registration: Pre-registration for TFWA World Exhibition & Conference is open until 3 September 2026. Both visitors and exhibitors can register online.

What to Expect at TFWA Cannes 2026

TFWA Cannes is much more than an exhibition. Alongside the show floor, there are conferences, workshops and networking events running throughout the week. Here’s what to expect at this year’s event.

• Exhibition – Spread across multiple themed villages within the Palais des Festivals, the exhibition brings together brands showcasing everything from luxury spirits to innovative confectionery. Visit Silver Crane at Booth G3 in the Blue Village to discover the latest in creative packaging design and tin manufacturing. Key areas to explore include:
  • Harbour Village – A unique feature of TFWA Cannes, the Harbour Village hosts exhibiting brands on board official boats moored within the exhibition area. This waterfront area offers a beautiful setting for meetings and brand showcases. Well worth a visit when you are at the show.
  • Bay Village & Riviera Village – These exhibition spaces traditionally house established confectionery, premium packaging and luxury food brands. Both villages see plenty of foot traffic throughout the week, making them great spots for discovering new product launches and packaging innovations for travel retail. You will likely spend a lot of time here during the event!
• Conference – The TFWA World Conference on Monday morning sets the tone for the week ahead. This year’s theme, ‘Shaping the World of Travel Retail’, features sessions from economist David McWilliams, Oliver Wyman’s Gilles Roucolle and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg, moderated by Stephen Sackur. Morning workshop sessions are also confirmed for Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Networking – This is where TFWA Cannes really stands apart. The event is built around networking, with the TFWA Lounge on Carlton Beach running after-work sessions from 18:30 to 21:00 and night-time sessions from 22:00 well into the early hours, Monday to Wednesday. The week kicks off on Sunday evening with the Opening Cocktail on Carlton Beach before the exhibition even opens, and there are social events running throughout the week. Some of the best conversations at TFWA Cannes happen away from the exhibition floor.
• ONE2ONE Meeting Service – Is there a brand exhibiting you’d like to talk with directly? TFWA’s dedicated ONE2ONE Meeting Service arranges pre-scheduled appointments between exhibiting brands, trade agents and other key industry players. Register your interest when pre-registering for the event, and the ONE2ONE team handles all arrangements.

Visit Silver Crane At TFWA Cannes 2026

TFWA Cannes is a regular on our tradeshow calendar, and Silver Crane is delighted to be returning for 2026. At Booth G3 in the Blue Village, you’ll find our latest innovations in premium tin packaging, including seasonal gifting concepts and fully packed shelf-ready formats. Make sure you visit our stand to learn what is new in the world of packaging design and innovation. Throughout the event, our experts will be ready to discuss how we can support your next project, from concept through to delivery.

We look forward to meeting you at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 and exploring how The Silver Crane Company can take your product packaging to the next level.

Connect With Us Beyond the Exhibition

Couldn’t attend in person? Or want to continue the conversation after the show? Please contact our friendly team if you require a complete tin packaging solution for travel retail, or speak to one of our experts.