Edinburgh City Centre

Edinburgh hosts the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France, the ceremonial start of the 114th edition of the race, on Friday 2 July 2027. Stage one leaves the city and runs 184km south to Carlisle, taking in a single categorised climb, the Côte de Melrose in the Eildon Hills. It is the third time Britain has hosted a Grand Départ, after London in 2007 and Yorkshire in 2014, and the first time Scotland has done so: the Tour has never previously raced in Scotland.

What happens in Edinburgh on Grand Départ day

A Grand Départ is more than a start line. The morning belongs to team presentations, sign-on and the team buses, with riders accessible in a way they are not at any other point in the race, before the field rolls out neutralised through the host city and racing begins outside it. That is why a start town is busy early and calm by mid-afternoon.

Getting there and getting around

Edinburgh Waverley sits in the centre of the city and is the main rail arrival point, with Haymarket a short distance west. The city centre is compact and walkable, which matters more than usual on a race day, because once a route closes, crossing it is difficult.

When this page was last checked, on 30 July 2026, the City of Edinburgh Council had still not published road closures for 2 July 2027. Closure information for a stage of this kind normally appears a few weeks beforehand.

What it costs to watch

Nothing, at the roadside. Standing on the route requires no ticket. Other host authorities further along the race say the same in as many words: Cumberland Council, and Westmorland and Furness Council. The stage will also be shown live and free-to-air on Channel 5, under the three-year agreement with TNT Sports announced on 17 June 2026.

Full route detail is in our 2027 British Grand Départ route and dates guide, and the race weekend is at the Tour de France 2027 British Grand Départ. Race background sits on the Tour de France hospitality hub.