UK to host 2027 Tour de France Grand Depart in Edinburgh

The United Kingdom has been selected to host the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France, with Edinburgh confirmed as the starting city for the men’s race. Both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will begin in Britain in 2027, with stages also planned across England, Scotland and Wales.

Organisers say the 2027 races will form the largest free sporting spectacle in British history, expecting millions of spectators to line the routes as the world’s top cyclists and rising stars compete on home soil. The 2027 programme will deliver the first-ever staging of the Tour de France Femmes in the UK alongside a Grand Départ for the men, offering a unique opportunity to showcase Britain’s varied landscapes and strong cycling culture. Detailed routes and stage towns for both races will be revealed this Autumn, with a focus on accessibility, community engagement and inspiring participation in cycling nationwide.

Britain has a long history with the Tour de France: the men’s race has opened in the UK on four previous occasions (1974, 1994, 2007 and 2014). The most recent visit in 2014 delivered three memorable stages through Yorkshire and London and attracted vast roadside crowds.

Scotland hosted the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023, drawing around one million spectators across 11 days, demonstrating the country’s capacity to welcome major international cycling events. The Tour de France Femmes, launched in 2022, will further elevate women’s professional cycling by bringing top-level competition to UK fans for the first time.

British riders have enjoyed notable success on the Tour, including overall victories by Bradley Wiggins (2012), Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) and Geraint Thomas (2018). The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was launched in 2022 and has rapidly grown as a premier event for women’s professional cycling.

Last year's men's Grand Depart took place in Florence, with the 2026 race starting in Barcelona being unveiled on October 23 2025 in Paris.