FLIBS 2026 transit guide: shuttles, Brightline and show hours

Visitors heading to the 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show can use organizer-run shuttle loops or connect through Brightline’s Fort Lauderdale station. The five-day show opens Wednesday, Oct. 28, at noon, then starts at 10 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Sunday, Nov. 1, hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The organizer’s show overview and transportation page provide the schedule and route details.

The complimentary Purple Loop connects the Broward County Convention Center and Bahia Mar. The Light Green Loop serves the convention center, Superyacht Village and Bahia Mar. Those routes are intended to move visitors between show locations, so check the route map and stop signs before boarding. The organizer says shuttle service begins one hour before the show opens and continues until one hour after it closes; actual wait times can vary.

Travelers arriving by rail can take Brightline to Fort Lauderdale Station, then use the complimentary Red Route shuttle to Riverside Hotel. From there, the organizer describes a water-taxi connection onward to the show. Brightline’s event page lists service from Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando. The station-to-hotel shuttle is a link in the trip, not a guarantee of a timed connection, so allow time for transfers and check the live train schedule.

The first day has a shorter public schedule: noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are listed from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., while Sunday ends at 5 p.m. Because shuttle hours are pegged to show opening and closing, the one-hour shoulders shift with those daily times. A visitor arriving Wednesday morning should plan around the noon opening rather than assume the full weekday service window begins at 10.

The routes serve different parts of the event. Purple connects the convention center and Bahia Mar; Light Green adds Superyacht Village; Red links the rail station to Riverside Hotel. That separation matters when choosing a starting point. Visitors should confirm the current stop location and route on the show’s transport page, especially if they are switching between venues during the day.

Brightline passengers can also consider the water taxi for the final leg, but the event page does not promise a fixed transfer time. The show’s schedule and transportation pages should be checked together before departure, since the final shuttle run is tied to closing time. The organizer lists complimentary shuttle service, but travel time, queues and boarding availability depend on conditions on the day.

For a rail-based trip, the simplest plan is to select the Brightline station, identify the Red Route stop at Riverside Hotel and leave room for the onward connection. For travel between show sites, use Purple or Light Green according to the destination. Organizers list the show through Nov. 1; Sunday’s earlier close makes that day’s final trip especially worth planning in advance.

Photo: Phillip Pessar. CC BY 2.0. Tonal adjustments; homepage crop.