On Saturday, January 18, the opening event of European Capital of Sport Tallinn 2025 gave residents the chance to explore various winter sports for free.

The Ski Day featured guided training sessions in cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboard cross, and ski jumping. Participants also attended ski waxing workshops that covered the differences between ski waxes, necessary tools, and techniques. Adaptive sports equipment, including cross-country and alpine sit-skis, was also showcased.

According to Tallinn’s Deputy Mayor Kaarel Oja, the first sports day of the European Capital of Sport fully achieved its goals. “The emotions and results of this opening day are exactly what we’ve worked for. The Song Festival Grounds were filled with people, including many who had never skied or hadn’t done so in a long time, but had a positive experience during the ski lessons and plan to go skiing again soon. That’s the goal—introducing different sports and creating opportunities to engage with them, encouraging small steps to inspire a love for sports,” said Oja.

The keywords for the European Sports Capital’s grand opening were courage, determination, and perseverance. These themes were brought to life artistically by the dancers of the fire theater Kelfirius and drummers led by Hele-Riin Uib-Pachel.

The opening also featured a performance by young skiers from the Lumeakadeemia (Snow Academy). The highlight of the evening was a lively concert by Eurovision winner LORDI.

The Ski Day welcomed 1,000 participants, while the grand opening drew a crowd of 6,000.

The European Capital of Sport program continues in a month with a sports day introducing combat sports, scheduled for February 22 at Sõle Sports Center. February will also feature a major winter swimming event at various locations across Tallinn.

GALLERY
Photos of Ski Day by Aldis Toome: Ski Day 18.01 by Aldis Toome
Photos of the grand opening by Aldis Toome: European Capital of  Sport opening 18.01 by Aldis Toome