Road cycling’s iconic Tour de France is set to return to the UK in 2027 when that market will host the ‘Grand Depart’ opening stages of the men’s – and women’s – races.
The men’s Grand Depart will begin in Edinburgh, Scotland, and will continue through the UK with both England and Wales hosting stages, while the starting point of the Tour de France Femmes women’s edition will be revealed later in 2025, as will more details regarding the route of both races.
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This will mark the first time that the men’s and women’s events will begin in the same country (the UK, as Scotland specifically is not yet confirmed for the women’s race.)
The Tour de France race organizer and promoter – Amaury Sport Organization – will partner with the British Cycling and UK Sport bodies to deliver the event, alongside the regional governments of the UK.
The UK has hosted the Grand Depart twice, in London in 2007 and most recently in Yorkshire in 2014, and upon its third instance, only the Netherlands (6), Belgium (5), and Germany (4) will have hosted the Grand Depart outside of France more (Spain will do so for the third time in 2026).
A UK Sport report revealed that the 2014 Grand Depart in Yorkshire generated “approximately £130 million [$204 million at the time]” for the host region’s economy, and the body is targeting a similar number for the 2027 event.
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By GlobalDataSpeaking on the announcement, Scotland’s first minister John Swinney said: “Hosting the Tour promises to be a unique opportunity to showcase our country to its many fans around the world as part of a timeline of incredible sporting events in Scotland from 2026 to 2028.”
Scotland previously hosted the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2024, and in 2026 will stage the Commonwealth Games, at which that sport will feature prominently.
Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan added: “We will build on our successful track record of hosting road cycling events, ensuring the Tour De France has a positive and lasting impact on cycling in Wales, by showcasing Wales as a top international destination for cyclists and encouraging more people in Wales to get into cycling.”
In the UK the rights to cycling’s elite 'Grand Tours', which includes the Tour de France, are held exclusively by media giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and disseminated through its TNT Sports pay-TV channels and its Discovery+ OTT Streaming service.
Channel 4, and latterly ITV, have been the UK free-to-air broadcasters of that prestigious race for the last few decades.
Given that the 2027 event is now revealed to be taking place in the UK, there is hope that a free-to-air sub-licensing deal may now be agreed to keep UK distribution of at least the UK-staged legs of the race open, at least in some form.
Tour de France general director Christian Prudhomme commented: “There will be discussions, of course. But I do hope, and I do believe the stages in the UK will be live and free to air in 2027. There will be discussions [and] we’re optimistic.”
