The Tall Ships Races Event Will Cause Changes to Land and Water Traffic from 15 to 22 July
11.07.2024
The Tall Ships Races Turku 2024 event will be held in Turku from Thursday to Sunday on 18–21 July. During this time, event is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the banks of the Aura River. This international public event, with its large number of visitors, will cause changes to the area’s land and water traffic arrangements between 15 and 22 July.
The international event, The Tall Ships Races, will be held in Turku for the sixth time from Thursday to Sunday, 18–21 July. The event area on the west bank extends from Martinsilta to the Turku Castle area and on the east bank from the Telakkaranta to the Queen Margaret Quay area. The event area at the lower reaches of the Aura River will be open to the public on Tuesday, 16 July. Restaurant and sales activities in the area will begin on the same day.
The construction of the event area begins on 10 July, and the event will be dismantled by 22 July. The event is expected to attract half a million visitors, which will cause congestion in the city center. The City of Turku recommends avoiding private car use throughout the event week and arriving by public transport or on foot.
Traffic on Land
Relocation signs have already been placed in the event area. Parking bans will come into effect on Monday, 8 July, and Wednesday, 10 July, from 8 am. The lane on the river side of Eastern Rantakatu will be closed to traffic between Martinsilta and Merimiehenkatu from Monday, 15 July. The remaining lane will operate as a one-way street, with traffic direction from Merimiehenkatu towards Martinsilta. The lane is expected to reopen for normal traffic on Sunday, 21 July, after the ships have left Turku. Streets in the city centre will be closed on Friday, 19 July, from 4 to 5 pm due to the event’s crew parade. More detailed information will be announced later.
The event area will be completely closed to traffic from Monday to Monday, 15–22 July. During this period, only residential traffic to the parking facilities of properties is allowed. Residential traffic requires a separate residential parking permit, which will be distributed only to holders of parking spaces. Private car use is also restricted on Sunday, 21 July, in Ruissalo on the following roads due to the departure of the ships: Hevoskarintie, Isopukintie, Kansanpuistontie, Kuuvantie, and Pikkupukintie.
Parking
There are no parking spaces for the public in the event area. Those arriving by car can use the following parking options around Turku: park-and-ride at Turku Fair Center, the water treatment plant area on Ruissalontie, P-Louhi in the city centre, and Toriparkki in the city centre.
Free parking spaces are available in Ruissalo in the Hevoskarintie and Kansanpuisto areas. If these areas are full, more cars will not be allowed in. Parking is monitored.
Bicycle and electric scooter traffic is also restricted throughout the event area during the event. Parking spots for bicycles and electric scooters can be found on Unioninkatu and Veistämöntori. Additionally, a separate bicycle parking area is located on Linnankatu beside Turku Castle and separate electric scooter parking area is at the corner of Linnankatu and Vallihaudankatu in the park area from Friday 19 to Saturday 20 July.
Thorough information regarding the different parking options available can be found on the Event information section of the website.
There are four taxi stands near the event area. The stands are located on Sotalaistenkatu, Merimiehenkatu, and Linnankatu in front of Forum Marinum and next to Barker Park. Accessible taxis can pick up and drop off customers at the Forum Marinum yard and the corner of Vaakahuone before the main gate of the event area.
Public Transport
The event will cause changes to the Föli bus and Föli water bus services.
On the east side of the river, routes 3, 14, 14T, 15, 15A, 15B, 15T, 30, 53, 53A, 53T, 55, 56, P1, and P3 will operate on a temporary route via Stålarminkatu–Martinkatu from Monday to Monday, 15–22 July.
Föli routes 1 and 1B will operate on the west side of the river every few minutes from Thursday to Sunday, 18–21 July. The routes will use a detour via Linnankatu–Vallihaudankatu–Satamakatu and vice versa.
Additionally, some bus stops in the event area will be out of service. Further details on disruptions and changes to Föli services can be found on the Föli website under Disruptions and Changes in Traffic: foli.fi
Ferry Traffic
During the event week, the Föri ferry will operate on an extended schedule from Monday to Sunday, 15–21 July, from 6.15 am to 1.00 am Föri will have one approximately 30-minute break for battery charging around 9 pm.
The Pikku-Föri ferry, located in front of Forum Marinum, will operate from Wednesday to Sunday, 17–21 July, from noon to midnight. The temporary ferry between Bore and the east bank will operate from Thursday to Saturday, 18–20 July, from 11 am to 11 pm. The ferry has a capacity of about 300 people.
Water Traffic in the Aura River
Water traffic in the Aura River will be restricted during the event week on the main route of the Port of Turku and between the Aura River for safety reasons as needed, and the event has the right to completely prevent external water traffic from entering the river if necessary.
Boaters arriving in the Aura River are expected to adhere to good seamanship practices. Smaller pleasure crafts must always give way to professional traffic in the river.
Boaters can access the Aura River during the event week, but there will be no mooring opportunities between Tuesday and Saturday, 16–20 July. On Sunday, 21 July, all small vessel traffic in the Aura River’s minor routes is completely prohibited from 11.30 am to 4.00 pm.
Normal maritime warnings have also been issued for the aforementioned restrictions.