Around 40 canal boats will be on display at the show, and 10 of them (with a combined weight of over 225 tonnes) will be craned in for the event.
Crick Boat Show
Crick Boat Show is the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival and offers a fantastic family day out by the water, with free entry for kids under 16, dogs welcome and free parking. The annual event is organised by Waterways World in partnership with us and Crick Waterside & Marina. Now the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, with over 200 exhibitors gathering from across the canal world and beyond, the event is expected to attract over 25,000 visitors.
As well as being the canal world’s biggest marketplace, Crick Boat Show offers a fantastic day out with dozens of boats to view, free boat trips, free boating seminars, live Music Festival sponsored by Vetus hosting 13 bands and entertainers, dozens of food stalls and a Real Ale & Cider Festival sponsored by Lee Sanitation.
A busy time of year
Lisa Tuckey, of MJT Cranes which specialises in lifting and transporting canal boats, explains: “Helping with the preparations for Crick Boat Show is always one of the busiest times of the year for us. Ahead of the show opening, we will be transporting and craning 10 canal boats. They range in length from 57ft to 70ft, and weigh between 15 and 35 tonnes each. Then after the show is finished, we take them all back again.”
The perfect place to relax and slow down
Peter Johns, Publisher of Waterways World and Show Director, says: “We’re looking forward to welcoming people to our 2026 Crick Boat Show, the nation’s biggest inland boating marketplace and a fantastic day out alongside the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire.
“During the show build-up, one of the most dramatic sights is when these huge canal boats - that have arrived by road - are winched up into the air and placed onto the marina waters or onto the land in the Show’s land-based marina.
“The maximum speed on our canals and rivers is just 4mph, making them the perfect place to relax and slow down, but as our exhibitors travel to the show from all around the country, it’s often impractical to send a boat by water. And the wide beam boats can’t fit through the locks on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, as it’s a narrow canal, so they have to arrive by road.”
Celebrating our fantastic network
Alex Hennessey, our national boating manager, adds: “Every year Crick Boat Show, the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, celebrates our fantastic network of canals and rivers.
“Canal & River Trust is the UK’s largest canal charity caring for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales. Canals connect people, nature and places and we look forward to welcoming people to the Canal & River Trust Marquee at Crick Boat Show to find out more about enjoying the canals in their area.”
For Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May adult tickets are £21.00 on the gate. On Monday 25 May adult tickets are £16.00 on the gate. Entry for children aged 16 and under is free 23-25 May. Parking is free.
For more information, visit www.crickboatshow.com.
