As part of its upcoming title year as the European Capital of Sport, Tallinn is marking World Car-Free Day on September 22 with a strong focus on sports.

The center of this year’s Car-Free Day during European Mobility Week will be at Uue turu plats (New Market Square) in Tammsaare Park, offering various activities for visitors of all ages. The main event of the day is an orienteering competition starting at 12 pm, which participants can tackle using either a bicycle or public transport. 

Pre-registration is available on the European Capital of Sport website at sport.tallinn.ee, but participants can also sign up onsite on the morning of the event.

"The goal of Car-Free Day is, of course, to reduce the number of motor vehicles in urban spaces, but this doesn’t mean less movement," said Tallinn’s Deputy Mayor Kaarel Oja. "This day shifts the focus to other modes of transportation. With Tallinn becoming the European Capital of Sport next year, the orienteering race is a perfect main event, offering a fun way to rediscover the city from new angles and perspectives."

Tammsaare Park will also be packed with various sporting attractions, where anyone can test their skills.
Since Car-Free Day wouldn’t be complete without discussing how traffic impacts air quality and the climate, the program includes a discussion titled “Climate-Neutral City: Dream or Reality?”

Musical entertainment will be provided by hip-hop artist villemdrillem and the trio Küberünnak and Karmo.

The day’s festivities will wrap up with the Tour d’ÖÖ bike ride, gathering at Vabaduse väljak (Freedom Square) from 4:30 pm, with the ride set to start an hour later. The full program (in Estonian language) can be found here.
In just a few months, Tallinn will officially be named European Capital of Sport for 2025.

Tallinn earned this prestigious title from the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES Europe) in December 2022, based on the city’s excellent work in developing sports and promoting an active lifestyle.

The primary goal of Tallinn’s European Capital of Sport year is to move closer to the city’s "Tallinn 2035" strategy, which aims to increase the percentage of residents leading healthy and active lifestyles to 65% by 2035.