The Tall Ships are coming!

They’re coming back, that is. Mayor Marty Walsh announced this week that a large fleet of ships will return for a five-day extravaganza in June 2017, attracting millions of spectactors.

The last time we saw a full fleet of Tall Ships was in 2000, and the show attracted 7 million people. In 2009, the Tall Ships show was scaled back due to security and clean-up costs from the time before. Only about 300,000 people attended that year, reports wbur.org. Five tall ships sailed to Boston in 2012 to celebrate the Fourth of July and the bicentennial of the war of 1812. But 2017 will bring the largest fleet yet, officials say.


“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Boston’s evolving waterfront area, and to position Boston as an attractive destination for visitors to take in this historic event. I’m proud to have our city take part in hosting the Tall Ships,’’ Mayor Walsh told bostonmagazine.com.

The event will boost our economy, said Walsh, who noted that visitors spent about $120 million at the 2000 event.

The 2017 show will feature 50 ships from more than 20 countries. It will stop in France, Bermuda, Portugal, Quebec, and Boston — the only U.S. stop.

Are you excited for the Tall Ships to come back?