Sailing, boating and Moby Dick: everything in Genoa is about the sea

Genoa has always welcomed ships and sailors: it is a city of departures and returns, guardian of a deep and ancient bond with the sea. Genoa does not reveal itself all at once, but lets itself be discovered little by little, amidst the caruggi, the unexpected glimpses and the treasures of the historic centre. Over the next few months, the city will renew its bond with the sea through three events celebrating its strength and beauty: the tenacity of sails with The Ocean Race Europe, the innovation and design of the International Boat Show, and the epic of the white whale with the 'Moby Dick-The Whale' exhibition. Three appointments offering the opportunity to rediscover some of Genoa's most fascinating areas.

Panoramica Porto Antico Genova

From 3 to 7 September 2025 Genoa will become the capital of sailing, transforming the city's maritime heart into a scenario of sport, technology, sustainability, and passion for the sea. A scenographic entrance between the quays and the profile of the Old Port will welcome the seven professional teams for the penultimate stage of The Ocean Race Europe. The fleets, arriving from Nice, are engaged in a long and challenging competition aboard 60-foot IMOCA sailing monohulls, among the fastest in the world; after crossing the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, the regatta connecting Europe will sail across the Adriatic Sea, ending its course in the Bay of Boka, in Montenegro. For five days Genoa will live an international atmosphere dedicated to sailing, offering the opportunity to rediscover the symbolic places of the historic dock: from the Aquarium of Genoa, the largest in Europe, to the City of Children and Youngsters, the interactive museum dedicated to the family, from the Galata Sea Museum, the largest and most innovative maritime museum in the Mediterranean, to the Biosphere and the Bigo panoramic lift, both designed by Renzo Piano and protagonists of the Porto Antico skyline. In this unique context, the Ocean Live Park will be set up, a space open to the public free of charge and animated by meetings with competing sailors, interactive activities for families, scientific and popular workshops related to the protection of the sea, conferences, musical events, and video screenings. Visitors will even be able to try out a sailing simulator and through two special experiences, on payment and on registration, immerse themselves in the team spirit of the competing teams by accessing the technical areas and the docks reserved for the crew to discover the internal organisation of a team that challenges the sea. On Sunday 7 September The Ocean Race Europe fleet will bid farewell to Genoa with a spectacular parade, leaving the Porto Antico amidst unfurled sails heading towards Montenegro for the last leg of the regatta.

The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Like every year, Genoa is getting ready to host one of the most prestigious appointments on the international boating scene: the Boat Show is back on time, confirming its role as a reference point for professionals, enthusiasts, and onlookers in the pleasure boating industry. From 18 to 23 September the 65th edition of the International Boat Show, organised by Confindustria Nautica, will bring innovation, design, and passion for the sea to the city. The Show will take place in the indoor and outdoor exhibition area stretching from Piazzale Kennedy, in the Foce district, a space organised into five themed areas devoted to the different sectors of the industry: Yacht & Superyachts, Sailing World, Tech Trade, Living the Sea, and Boating Discovery. After exploring the latest novelties in Italian boating production, the suggestion is to walk along the three-kilometre-long seafront promenade that starts from the Foce, crosses the Albaro district with its elegant buildings, and leads all the way to Boccadasse, the picturesque fishing village, one of Genoa's most beloved spots.

Salone Nautico Internazionale di Genova

The story told in Moby Dick, the famous novel that Herman Melville wrote in 1851, continues to fascinate generations of readers with the myth of the whale: a tale rich in symbolism and philosophical reflections. It is precisely from the book's themes that the group exhibition "Moby Dick - The Whale", scheduled from 12 October 2025 to 15 February 2026 at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, takes shape. An exhibition that will display the history of the whale myth from antiquity to contemporary art, the queen of the ocean has in fact always captured the human imagination, inspiring legends and narratives. "Moby Dick - The Whale" starts from the American writer's masterpiece to build an immersive itinerary that accompanies the visitor in the discovery of a multiform artistic universe through a display of video installations, sculptures, photographs and engravings. After the visit to the Palazzo Ducale, the suggestion is to reach the medieval historical centre of Genoa, passing through Porta Soprana, the fortification built by the Genoese in 1155 with its two towers, to reach Christopher Columbus' House. Now a museum, it was once the home where the great navigator lived during his childhood. The sea remains the invisible thread linking legends, history and art.