The Tour de France will make a historic return to the United Kingdom in 2027, with a three-day Grand Départ spanning across Scotland, England, and Wales from July 2-4. The event will link Edinburgh to Cardiff via three stages totaling over 600 kilometers, marking the first time the iconic race has visited all three British nations in a single edition.
The iconic Tour de France returns to British soil in 2027, making history across all three nations in a spectacular three-day Grand Départ.
The opening stage will begin in Edinburgh and conclude in Carlisle, covering 184 kilometers through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Featuring the first classified climb at Melrose, the relatively gentle terrain should still favor sprinters, with the first Yellow Jersey of the Tour up for grabs in Carlisle, a regular Tour of Britain host city.
Stage two will travel 223 kilometers from Keswick to Liverpool, remaining entirely on English roads. Starting at Moot Hall, this challenging route is designed for puncheurs and general classification contenders, culminating at Liverpool’s famous waterfront on Saturday, July 3. The route will showcase the stunning scenery of the Lake District National Park as riders navigate five categorized climbs.
The final British stage on Sunday will see riders traverse 223 kilometers from Welshpool to Cardiff, staying wholly within Wales. The route includes several testing climbs, especially Epynt (3.7km at 7.9%) after 80 kilometers and the Côte de Caerffili (2km at 8.1%) just 12 kilometers from the finish line near Cardiff Castle and Principality Stadium. Cardiff, with a population of 384,000, will provide a vibrant metropolitan finale to the UK stages. This Grand Départ is anticipated to be the largest free-to-watch sporting event in British history, drawing millions of spectators along the route.
Preparations begin on June 29 when the race headquarters opens at Edinburgh International Conference Centre, followed by the teams presentation at Edinburgh Castle on June 30. This marks Edinburgh’s debut as a Tour host city, completing a British triptych after previous Grand Départs in London (2007) and Leeds (2014).
The event carries special significance for Wales, home of Geraint Thomas, the only Welsh Tour winner. Following the men’s race, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start in Leeds on July 30, featuring six UK stages through northern England and London. Both events form part of a broader social impact program targeting health, wellbeing, and community connections beyond 2027.
