More than 70 Belgian cities and municipalities are taking part in Car-Free Sunday this year, a new national record. From Antwerp and Bruges to Brussels, Leuven and dozens of smaller municipalities, plus 22 municipalities in Wallonia, streets will be handed back to pedestrians and cyclists on Sunday 20 September 2026 as part of Mobility Week.
The annual event is intended to demonstrate what urban areas can look like with less motorised traffic, while giving residents an opportunity to discover alternatives such as cycling, walking and public transport. But the day also highlights a wider mobility paradox: while cycling and other sustainable modes are gaining ground in cities such as Antwerp, the absolute number of cars continues to rise.
In Antwerp, the number of passenger cars increased from 192,967 in 2013 to 227,414 last year, an increase of 17%. Across Flanders, the increase was 12%.
At the same time, the bicycle has become the most popular mode of transport for commuting in Antwerp, accounting for 38.6% of journeys, compared with 37.1% for the car. Car ownership has also fallen as a proportion of the population. In 2024, 76.5% of Antwerp households owned a car, 3.2 percentage points less than in 2017. Antwerp also has fewer registered passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants than the Flemish average: 402 compared with 541.
More cyclists, but also more cars
The apparent contradiction is partly explained by population growth. Antwerp had 511,716 inhabitants in 2013, compared with 570,362 in 2024, an increase of 11.4%. More inhabitants inevitably mean more vehicles, even when the proportion of residents travelling by car falls.
Mobility expert Kris Peeters has argued that the absolute number of cars should therefore not be overlooked when policymakers discuss the modal shift. He points out that more people in Antwerp now cycle to work than drive, but says this does not necessarily mean that there are fewer cars on the streets. If the overall population grows and both the number of cyclists and motorists increases, cars can continue to occupy a large amount of public space.
Thomas Vanoutrive, a mobility expert at the University of Antwerp who works with the Straatvinken citizen-science project, makes a similar distinction. A modal split expressed in percentages can hide the difference between a small and a large volume of traffic. A street carrying 1,000 cyclists and 1,000 cars still has a 50-50 modal split, for example, but the impact on the street and its residents is very different from a street carrying just one cyclist and one car.
According to the experts, parking policy is another factor. Peeters points to Antwerp’s relatively high supply of parking spaces and the city’s free residents’ parking permits. In some neighbourhoods, he says, more residents’ permits are in circulation than there are available parking spaces. He also argues that new developments are still required to provide too many parking spaces.
Vanoutrive acknowledges that Antwerp has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure and that the number of cyclists has consequently increased. However, he says there is less policy aimed at discouraging car use. Congestion does occur, but motorists can still reach many parts of the city relatively easily when traffic conditions are favourable. He also points to the political sensitivity of circulation plans and argues that public transport does not always provide a sufficiently reliable alternative.
Company cars are another factor. Almost a quarter of Antwerp households now have access to a company car, compared with 19% in 2017. Vanoutrive says there has been little evidence of a decline in company-car ownership.
Antwerp Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis (N-VA) defends the city’s approach. He says the modal shift shows that Antwerp is performing well, with sustainable transport modes increasingly being used. At the same time, he argues that the city’s mobility policy has to take account of the fact that people still need cars for purposes such as commuting and shopping.
Kennis also rejects criticism of the city’s parking policy and free residents’ permits. His position is that residents should either be guaranteed parking or pay for it, but that because such a guarantee does not exist, residents’ permits remain free. He says the city is also encouraging people to park their cars on private property. More broadly, he describes Antwerp’s mobility policy as based on realism and argues that the people making daily transport choices themselves are ultimately the real experts.
Brussels becomes a giant car-free zone
The debate over the role of the car will take a very visible form in Brussels on Sunday. The entire Brussels-Capital Region will be closed to most motorised traffic from 9:30 until 19:00, making it one of the largest car-free areas in Europe.
Only certain vehicles will be allowed on the roads, including public transport, taxis, coaches, emergency services, utility vehicles, diplomatic vehicles and vehicles used by people with disabilities who have the required permit. The maximum speed limit will also be reduced to 30 km/h throughout the region.
The closure and reopening will take place gradually. Brussels Mobility warns that traffic disruption can therefore begin before 9:30 and continue after 19:00 as access roads and tunnels are reopened and barriers are removed. Some streets will remain closed for longer because of local activities.
People who still need to travel to Brussels by car are encouraged to use park-and-ride facilities. Public transport will also be strengthened. Most MIVB / STIB metro, tram and bus services will be free, while De Lijn buses will also be free within Brussels.
Cyclists and pedestrians will nevertheless have to follow the normal traffic rules. Traffic lights, road signs, lane directions and priority rules remain in force. The tunnels will be completely closed and cannot be used by cyclists or pedestrians.
Antwerp turns streets into public space
In Antwerp, the historic city centre will be car-free from 10:00 to 18:00. The zone stretches between the Amsterdamstraat and Londenstraat, the Leien, Jan van Gentstraat, Waalsekaai, and Scheldestraat, with large parts of the Scheldt Quays also closed to cars.
The programme is designed to show what can happen when streets are given over to other uses. One of the more unusual attractions is a large water slide allowing visitors to slide into the Brabant tunnel on an inflatable ring.
Elsewhere in the Antwerp region, Hoogstraten will close its centre from 9:00 to 20:00, turning the Vrijheid into a pedestrian boulevard alongside the Hoogstraten in Groenten & Bloemen open-air exhibition. Lier will combine its car-free afternoon with a breakfast, cycling activities, a book market and traditional games.
Putte is encouraging residents to get on their bicycles with several cycling routes, while Turnhout will hold an Open Straatdag in around 30 neighbourhoods, creating space for outdoor play and street parties. Wijnegem will make itself car-light, with activities including barbecues, picnics, quizzes and cycle parades in around 30 neighbourhoods.
From a 400-metre table to underground rollerblading
West Flanders is also joining the record-breaking event. Bruges will make its city centre car-light from 10:00 to 18:00, with a programme including a rubber-duck race and mussel festival. The main attraction will be Tafeltijd, featuring a 400-metre-long table.
Deerlijk will close its centre to motorised traffic and install a mobile skate park, while Harelbeke’s Car-Free Sunday coincides with its city festival, featuring flea and art markets, music and street entertainment.
In Ypres, pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users will take over the centre, with activities including a second-hand bicycle market, cycling upside down, roller skating and skateboarding.
Kortrijk is planning to turn an underground car park into a rollerblading venue, while visitors can also picnic in the street or take part in outdoor bowling. The city will additionally host the Belgian cargo-bike championship, open to riders of two- and three-wheeled cargo bikes, whether electric or conventional.
Ostend will spread its activities across five locations, including a balance challenge on unusual bicycles, a climbing wall, a remote-control car-racing track and a pump track for BMX riders. Roeselare‘s Car-Free Sunday will coincide with the Rodenbach celebrations, while Torhout will organise a free traffic event with demonstrations, workshops and guided rides.
Wevelgem will combine traffic-free streets with a fair and street entertainment, including a flea market, football darts and an obstacle course.
Mobility and street festivals across East Flanders
In Aalst, Utopiaplein will become a central meeting place with a terrace, music and entertainment, while other parts of the city host flea, record and second-hand bicycle markets.
Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht will turn the Grote Markt in Beveren into a play area and close the centre to cars. Deinze will combine its car-free day with activities including a bungee trampoline and a DJ bicycle caravan, as well as the Belgian children’s balance-bike championship for two- to five-year-olds.
Dendermonde will combine Car-Free Sunday with Boulevart, a free festival of circus, theatre, music and entertainment. Eeklo will use its traffic-free streets for the annual Day of the City, with music, culture and entertainment.
In Lokeren, the Cyclists’ Union will organise a six-kilometre bicycle parade with participants dressed as cycling heroes. Ronse (Renaix) is opting for a sporting programme under the name Ronse Run & Roll, including a running race, children’s run and skating competition.
Sint-Lievens-Houtem will hold a bicycle market with a cycling course for children, while Zelzate will host an Open Street Day with music and food. Zottegem will close its centre from 12:00 to 17:00, with a food-truck festival, flea market and children’s book sale, alongside the colourful Rainbow Run.
Brussels and Flemish Brabant
In Asse, researchers from Erasmushogeschool Brussel will demonstrate how technology could contribute to more accessible mobility, together with Technopolis and KBC.
The Brussels-Capital Region will once again provide the country’s largest car-free area, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to explore the capital without normal motor traffic. Cultural venues including Beursschouwburg and Maison de la Création are among those organising activities.
Haacht will combine Car-Free Sunday with its (H)echte Stratendag, closing around ten streets for local street parties. In Hoeilaart, the Druivenfestival will take place while the centre is largely closed to motorised traffic, with performances, a flea market, exhibitions and street theatre.
Kortenberg will close the Leuvensesteenweg for its annual fair, while Leuven is preparing the fifth edition of King of the Ring alongside a programme of activities in the city centre. Cyclists, pedestrians, skaters and scooter users will be given free rein in the centre.
Vilvoorde will close many streets to motorised traffic and organise a mobility and leisure market, while free street theatre will take place at Plein Publiq.
Limburg joins the record
In Limburg, Lommel will close its centre and turn the Hertog Janplein into a cycling playground during Velofest. The highlight is a seven-metre-high loop that visitors can ride themselves.
Maasmechelen will also put bicycles centre stage with Maasmechelen fietst, its annual cycling festival. Visitors can customise bicycles and helmets, alongside music and food.
Record participation across Belgium
The participation extends well beyond Flanders and Brussels. More than 70 cities and municipalities across Belgium are taking part this year, while 22 Walloon municipalities are organising their own Dimanche sans voiture. That brings the national total above the previous record of 53 participating municipalities.
Car-Free Sunday is part of Mobility Week, which runs from 16 to 22 September. The event is therefore both a practical traffic measure and an annual showcase for alternative ways of moving around Belgian cities.
The experience in Antwerp illustrates the wider challenge: a growing share of people may choose bicycles, public transport or other alternatives, while the absolute number of cars can continue to increase at the same time. Car-Free Sunday temporarily reverses that balance by removing motor traffic from the streets and allowing cities to test what their public space looks like when cars are no longer the dominant presence.
