22 Aug 2023
Brand new for 2023 - enjoy watersports experiences and the city centre’s only sandy beach
Be one of the first to experience The Beach Haven & Watersports Lake, brought to you by Haven Knox-Johnston, a dynamic new addition to this year’s show, where visitors can anticipate a blend of action and relaxation.
For the first time ever, The Beach Haven & Watersports Lake, will provide visitors with the perfect location to try their hand at a whole host of different watersports as well as chill out on the city centre’s only sandy beach.
Situated front and centre at the show’s entrance, The Beach Haven & Watersports Lake can be found within the dedicated Watersports Zone, crammed full of all the latest entry-level watersports gear and equipment.
The expansive Watersports lake offers visitors fantastic opportunities to try out our extensive itinerary of watersports experiences available across the ten days. Enjoy a gentle paddle across the lake on a paddleboard or an exhilarating canoe race against an Olympian. Try your hand at model boating or find your inner zen at sundown with a paddleboard yoga session!
While over on the city centre’s only sandy beach, find your happy place with the sand between your toes.
With buckets and spades available for kids of all ages, have fun building a sandcastle or enjoy a picnic under the palm trees. Make sure you’re Insta ready and grab a snap at the photo op display. You can even take part in a beach yoga session or simply sit back and enjoy the action on the big screens which will include two mighty clashes from the Rugby World Cup (Saturday 16 September (16.45) watch Wales take on Portugal, Saturday 23 September (16.45) watch as England takes on Chile). With food outlets, a bar and ample seating, it’s a great place to start your day planning your itinerary, for a lunchtime pit stop or to chill out at the end of an action-packed visit to the show.
Plus, look out for some exciting Beach Haven & Watersports Lake competitions – keep an eye out of details coming soon!
“Haven Knox-Johnston is proud to be collaborating with the Southampton International Boat Show to introduce The Beach Haven & Watersports Lake. With the new additions of Haven-Knox Johnston Commercial and Haven Knox-Johnston Specialist brands, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring all the new members of our family together and introduce them to the whole marine community and celebrate what we all love most; being out on the water. We may have expanded our product range, but we are always going to still enjoy the sand beneath our feet, even in the city centre”, commented Paul Knox-Johnston of Haven Knox-Johnston.
British Marine CEO, Lesley Robinson added: “We are always looking to enhance the experiences for our attendees at the show and we are delighted to be working with Haven Knox-Johnston on this great new attraction.
“This addition exemplifies our commitment to celebrating all things marine and providing opportunities for people to give it a go, alongside a great place to get together and relax and soak up the show atmosphere.”
All on water activities, on the Watersports Lake, are included in the price of your show ticket, visit the booking area in the Watersports Zone to book your activities. A full schedule of what’s on when will be available on the website in the coming days – www.southamptonboatshow.com
Get your ticket
Tickets for the Boat Show can be purchased online at www.southamptonboatshow.com/visitor-information/tickets/
Upgrade your visit and check out our exclusive VIP packages – https://www.southamptonboatshow.com/vip/
The show is open from 10am – 6pm daily except the final Sunday when the show will close at 5pm.
Tickets for the Boat Show can be purchased online at www.southamptonboatshow.com/visitor-information/tickets/
Don’t forget, with every adult general admission ticket, two children under 17 go for free. Plus new for 2024, Young adults aged 18-21 also enjoy free admission, making this an accessible event for families and young enthusiasts alike.
You can also make a donation to this year’s show charity when purchasing your tickets. This year we are delighted to be working with the Southampton Hospitals Charity and their Light the South art trail to raise funds for Southampton Children's Hospital, one of the top children's hospitals in the UK. Your donation will help transform the facilities and hospital experience for young patients, deliver vital support for families and continue life-changing research to keep your children's hospital truly world class.
Want to make your visit extra special? Treat yourself with our Quayside Club package – https://www.southamptonboatshow.com/vip/
The show is open from 10am – 6pm daily except on the final Sunday when the show will close at 5pm. The Shipyard will remain open until 9pm on both Saturday 14 and Saturday 21 September.
Visit the website www.southamptonboatshow.com or follow our social channels for all the latest show updates.
Further information
For more information please contact: British Marine Press Team – pr@britishmarine.co.uk
From SUPs to superyachts and everything in between, the Southampton International Boat Show is an on-water event, one of the largest in Europe and the biggest and most popular of its type in the UK. Welcoming thousands of visitors, the event provides a showcase for everything the leisure marine industry has to offer and provides an exciting family day out with many chances to get afloat.
For further information visit: www.southamptonboatshow.com
Follow Southampton International Boat Show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
The Southampton International Boat Show (19 -28 September 2025) is owned and operated by British Marine. British Marine is the trade association for the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry. Through the provision of world-class events, specialist services and business support tools, we support over 1,300 members from both sea-going and inland sectors in achieving long-term sustainable growth and represent an industry which employs more than 38,000 people in the UK.
For more information about the work of British Marine and how to join, please visit the website: www.britishmarine.co.uk, or follow British Marine on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook