An international bike relay called the COP31 Bike Ride rolls into Burgas on October 4 and 5. The two Bulgarian legs of the relay meet in the city, then head off together toward Turkey.

Riders arrive at 4pm on October 4 at the bridge by the Southern Salt Pans, though the exact time depends on when the cyclists actually show up. A bike parade will then wind through the city as part of the "Green Move" event.

From 6:30pm, bar Barbosa hosts a meet-up with the riders and a screening of a film about last year's ride, followed by talk about the road to COP31 and cycling in Burgas. The evening wraps up with an acoustic set by the band "Прегърнат облак" (Hugged Cloud).

On October 5, the cyclists gather outside the Burgas municipality building at 9am and set off for Turkey at 9:30am. Anyone who wants to can ride along for part of the way.

The relay links the host cities of two back-to-back UN climate summits. COP30 was held in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. COP31 takes place in Antalya, Turkey, in November 2026. The cyclists set out from Belém on May 28 and aim to reach Antalya by November 9. This year's route covers more than 22,000km across three continents and over 20 countries.

Riders hand a flag from one to the next carrying 10 proposals for making cycling easier as a way to get around. The proposals go to local and national authorities, and finally to COP31 delegates. The theme is everyday travel — walking, cycling, public transport or driving. This year's motto is "Ride Slower, Change Faster".

The relay crosses Bulgaria on two routes. One runs through Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas, while the main international group enters through Silistra and follows the Black Sea coast. Along the way, extra routes from different parts of Europe join the main group, including the Sofia leg. Burgas is the only Bulgarian town taking part. The Bulgarian leg is backed by the Burgas Cycling Community, the "Black Sea Road" association, VeloEvolution, the Ustrem cycling club, VeloCulture Plovdiv, "Ti si Sliven", the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation and other local groups and partners.

The relay isn't a race, and anyone can join regardless of fitness or experience. Organisers say people can ride for a few hours, for a few kilometres around the city, for a day, or for a single stage, without doing the whole route. They're inviting Burgas locals and visitors to welcome the cyclists on October 4 and wave them off the next day.

The first ride took place in 2024, when around 200 people cycled 6,500km from Paris to Baku. A year later, more than 1,000 people took part, and this year's edition is also aiming for a world record for the most people in a bike relay. In 2025, more than 60 local authorities along the route promised specific steps to support cycling.