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Barcelona Launches Ten-Day Citywide Festival for Tour de France Grand Départ

The programme aims to put residents at the centre of events, boost local businesses and spotlight two competitive stages for a global audience.

Overview

  • The festival, which launched on Friday, June 26, opened with an inaugural concert at Plaça de la Catedral and a spread of neighbourhood shows and installations across the city.
  • Organisers will present the 23 teams on July 2 in a parade from the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau to the Sagrada Família and will open a Fan Park at Passeig de Lluís Companys that offers big screens, workshops and family activities.
  • Barcelona will host two official Tour stages: a 19.6 km team time trial that crosses emblematic urban sites and a shorter stage from Tarragona that finishes on Montjuïc after three climbs to the castle.
  • More than 70 events tie music, street theatre, exhibitions and food to the race—including themed breads and pastries, market tastings and restaurant routes—while transport and city agencies coordinate crowd, mobility and venue logistics.
  • Local legacy measures are already under way: Vilanova i la Geltrú is upgrading its municipal cycling circuit with public funds and equipment, and Barcelona’s municipal chamber has approved a non-binding motion to inventory sports facilities to plan a 10-year upgrade programme.