Practical Information

The Tall Ships Races Fredrikstad utilizes the entire city as its arena. The event area stretches from Værste on Kråkerøy, along the entire waterfront promenade in the city center, past the Library Park, all the way to the Old Town and Isegran. There are free activities and events throughout the city from 10:00 to 00:00.

Information, food and drinks

Where are the service tents?

There are service tents located at Isegran, Dampskipsbrygga, The Library Park, and in The Old Town. The Red Cross is present in the service tents from 10:00 to 00,00 and the service hosts are available from 11:00 to 23:00. At Isegran, the tent is staffed by the Red Cross from 10:00 to 18:00.

Where can I find food and beverage?

There are dining establishments at Isegran, Værste, Fisketorvet, Dampskipsbrygga, The Library Park, Tollbodbrygga, and Kongens Brygge in The Old Town (Statsraad Lehmkuhl). In addition, there are established food and beverage venues in the city centre, Kråkerøy, and The Old Town. Check out the restaurant guide on the Visit Fredrikstad and Hvaler website.

Where can I get water?

Water lines with tap points have been installed along the quayside at Værste and Glommen Brygge in Kråkerøy, and on the city side from Dampskipsbrygga to Tollboden. Bring your own water bottle and refill it. Additionally, the municipality will distribute water bottles at the event area, and there is a water cart in the Library Park.

Where can I use the restroom?

Additional toilets have been placed in the Library Park Isegran, Værste, Tollbodbrygga, The Old Town, and at Dampskipsbrygga.

Can I purchase merchandise from The Tall Ships Races Fredrikstad 2023?

Yes, you can purchase items such as t-shirts, glasses, hoodies, floating keychains, and more at the Library Park and Tollbodplassen.

Can I go swimming in the river Glomma?

It is not recommended to swim in the river as there are strong currents in certain areas. If you see someone who has fallen into the water, you can find rescue ladders and lifebuoys along the waterfront. There are also additional rescue buoys available in our service tents.

Missing/lost children

The service tents are used as meeting points for lost children. Please contact the nearest person working for TSRF, and they will report it to the security supervisor, Red Cross, and the police.

Lost and found: What do I do if I have lost something?

Lost items will be delivered to the closest service tent, or to the Help Desk at Litteraturhuset. At the end of the day, all lost items will be delivered to the Help Desk.

The Ships

When are the ships coming to Fredrikstad?

All the ships are expected to be in port by Saturday at 12:00 PM. This depends on the weather and wind during the sail from Hartlepool. Sørlandet will arrive on Friday evening. The ships will enter both Østerelva and Vesterelva. You can follow the ships live until their arrival in Fredrikstad on 15 July.

When are the ships open to the public?

Each ship has its own opening hours. Please check the notices posted outside each ship.

Where can I see the ship locations?

You can find the ship locations in the printed programme and on our interactive map at the bottom of this page.

Which ships are coming to Fredrikstad?

Here you can see all the ships coming to Fredrikstad.

Where and when is the Parade of Sails?

The departure is at 2:00 PM on Tuesday. All the ships will depart through Østerelva (between Isegran and The Old Town). To get a good view of the departure, you can be in The Old Town, on Isegran, or in Cicignon. You can also follow the departure in your own boat.

Can we follow the departure in our own boat?

Yes! The departure starts at 2:00 PM and goes through Østerelva. The waters between Værstebrua and Tollbodkaien will be closed during the departure, but you can follow the departure outside of this area.

Transportation and parking

How can I get to TSRF?

We recommend taking the bus, train, ferry, bike, or walking to the ship festival. Tip! There is a free ferry between Sarpsborg (Pæddekummen) and Fredrikstad (Tollboden) on Saturdays and Sundays, and you can also borrow bikes for free where you disembark the ferry. Plan your trip on ØKT and VY.

Are there additional bus routes?

Yes, on Saturday and Sunday during the ship festival, there are additional departures on line 114 and line 115.

Line 114 Tomb-Saltnes-Manstad-Fredrikstad Saturday: Hourly departures from Tomb between 08:25-23:25 and from Fredrikstad between 07:30-22:30. Sunday: Hourly departures from Tomb between 13:25-23:25 and from Fredrikstad between 12:30-22:30.
Line 115 Vikane-Øyenkilen-Fredrikstad Extra evening departure on both Saturday and Sunday from Fredrikstad at 22:30 with return from Tomb at 23:25.
Extra trip on Sunday from Fredrikstad at 12:30 with return from Vikane at 13:20.

Note: The extra departures may not be shown in the travel planner. To travel on the extra departures, you need to purchase a ticket in advance using one of the ticket apps ØstfoldBillett, Entur, or Vy.

On line 6 between Hvaler and Fredrikstad, regular ticket prices apply for adults. Reduced prices are available for children and seniors.

When and where do the city ferries in Fredrikstad operate?

The city ferries in Fredrikstad are free. We will have all 10 ferries in operation during the event.

Please expect queues for all ferries. If the ferry does not stop at the ferry terminal, it means that it is full.

Ferry schedules on Saturday and Sunday:

The city ferries will operate continuously on Saturday and Sunday without fixed schedules.

Cicignon – Gamlebyen (Old Town): 24/7
Gamlebyen (Old Town) – Smertu – Sentrum: 08:00-23:30. Last departure from Gamlebyen (Old Town) at 23:30.
Ålekilene – Gressvik – Værste – Sentrum: 08:00-23:30. Last departure from the city center at 23:30.
Sellebakk – Lisleby: Saturday 08:00-21:00, Sunday 09:00-18:00 (regular schedule). Last departure from Lisleby at 21:02 (Saturday) and 18:02 (Sunday).

Ferry schedules on Monday and Tuesday:

The city ferries will follow their regular routes, but additional capacity will be provided as needed. Please note that the schedules may vary slightly with a high number of passengers.

Cicignon – Gamlebyen (Old Town): 24/7
Ålekilene – Gressvik – Værste – Sentrum – Smertu – Gamlebyen (Old Town):
Monday: 05:40-23:30. Last departure from the city center and Gamlebyen (Old Town) at 23:30.
Tuesday: 05:40-21:00. Last departure from Gamlebyen (Old Town) at 21:00.
Sellebakk – Lisleby: 05:30-23:00. Last departure from Lisleby at 23:02.

You can find the regular schedules and travel information for the city ferries in Fredrikstad on their website or on Entur.

Can I moor my pleasure boat in the city?

The guest harbor at Værste is available for "pre-booking" and "drop-in" for pleasure boats, provided there are available spaces.
The guest docks on the waterfront promenade in the city center can be used. It operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and the berths are regulated by harbor hosts.
If there are available spaces along the waterfront promenade after all the ships have arrived by 8:00 PM on Saturday, you can moor there. Note: No mooring is allowed before 8:00 PM on Saturday.

Is it possible to navigate in the river with my leisure boat during the event?

Yes, with some exceptions. The waters from Værstebrua to Tollbodkaien will be closed to maritime traffic from July 14th at 6:00 PM to July 15th at 5:00 PM, and from July 18th at 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

Where can I find bike parking?

Extra bike racks have been placed at Isegran and in Bibliotekparken. Additionally, the Kirkebrygga parking garage has been converted into a bike parking area.

Where can I find camper van parking?

There are parking areas for camper vans at Tollbodplassen, Seiersborg, and the guest harbor at Værste. There is also camper van parking available in the activity town of Gamle Fredrikstad and at the sports center in Gressvik.

How will traffic flow in the city during TSRF?

There will be reduced accessibility and road closures in the city center. We encourage as many people as possible to leave their cars behind and take the bus, city ferry, bike, or walk if possible.

There will be no entry allowed on Storgata, Nygaardsgata, Strandpromenaden, Ferjestedsveien near the ferry terminal at Cicignon, and generally, roads adjacent to the library and Vesterelva in the city center. Access to properties is permitted.
There will be no entry allowed from Kråkerøyveien and throughout the area adjacent to Isegran and Smertu. Access to properties is permitted.

When will the bridges be closed to car traffic?

Værstebrua will be closed to car traffic during the arrival of the ships, and Kråkerøybrua will be intermittently open only to pedestrians and cyclists during the ship festival. One of the bridges will always be open to car traffic.

The bridges will be closed to car traffic at the following times:

Thursday, 13 July: 06:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 01:00 PM, 06:00 PM, 09:00 PM, 12:00 AM.
Friday, 14 July: 06:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 01:00 PM, 06:00 PM, 07:00 PM-08:00 PM.
Saturday, 15 July: 08:00 AM - 11:00 AM, 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM, 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM.
Tuesday, 18 July: 02:30 PM - 05:30 PM. The bridges will not open outside of these times. One of the bridges will always be open to car traffic, and detours will be signposted on national and county roads.

Where can I park?

We encourage everyone to travel by public transport, on foot, or by bike to the ship festival. If you are driving, you can park at the existing parking lots in Fredrikstad. Parking is free at Høgskolen i Østfold during the event. Follow the signs from the roundabout at Værstebrua.

Those with disabled parking permits can park at publicly regulated disabled parking spaces.

View larger map