Published Thursday 15 January 2026 at 18:15
Blackburn with Darwen will feature as part of the Tour de France Grand Départs – set to be the largest free sporting spectacle in British history.
The route for the 2027 global sporting event has just been announced, with both the men’s and women’s races passing through the North West.
In an important moment for cycling, it’ll mark the first time that both races will start in the same country outside of France.
Here in the borough, the Tour de France will take in parts of Blackburn, Tockholes, and Belmont on Saturday, July 3, next year.
Welcoming the news, Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and Transport Lead for the Lancashire Combined County Authority, said:
What a proud moment for our borough and Lancashire to be included in one of the largest sporting events in the world.
This is a unique chance to spotlight our towns and villages, to welcome visitors, and inspire a whole new generation of cyclists.
We are looking forward to making the very most of this incredible opportunity – the Tour de France can expect a very warm Northern welcome in 2027.
The men’s Tour de France will begin in Edinburgh on Friday, July 2, with the opening stage finishing in Carlisle.
Sections of Blackburn with Darwen will feature as part of the second day of the race, starting in Keswick and travelling through the Lake District and across Lancashire before finishing on The Strand in Liverpool.
The riders will enter our borough to the north at Brownhill/Ramsgreave, traverse Whalley New Road, travel through Blackburn town centre – taking in the likes of Blackburn Cathedral and Cathedral Square and views of the Wainwright Bridge – before heading along Alan Shearer Way, Livesey Branch Road, and Heys Lane.
Elsewhere, the route will include Tockholes Road, Belmont Road, and Rivington Road – where a King of the Mountains (KOM) stage is planned.
The North West is playing a central role in the two races, with Manchester and Liverpool both confirmed as key start and finish destinations.
The full UK routes for both the Tour de France Grand Départs and Femmes avec Zwift – which will take place on July 30 and 31 – were announced tonight at a special event held at Leeds Civic Hall, with 10 host towns and cities illuminated simultaneously as part of a ‘Tour de Skies’ celebration.
Councillor Riley, who attended the event, added:
What a privilege it was to be in that room representing Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire.
We heard how this event will be bigger than anything we have ever seen, with both the men’s and women’s pelotons starting here in the UK, together for the very first time.
This is a chance to show off our borough to the world, and we have much to celebrate, including our rich sporting heritage and cultural resurgence.
Importantly, all of our residents, including many Tour de France fans, will be able to enjoy this iconic event for free – getting the opportunity to watch world-class cyclists right here on their own doorstep. We look forward to them turning out in their droves.
July 3, 2027 is a date for all our diaries – it promises to be a real moment in history.
Alongside the route announcement, organisers also revealed Joy, a programme at the heart of the 2027 Grand Départs that aims to tackle inactivity and improve mental wellbeing.
British Cycling also announced plans to recruit 7,000 volunteers for the event – inviting people right across the UK to play a hands-on role in delivering the world’s biggest free-to-watch sporting event.
Thousands of opportunities are expected across route operations, spectator support, and community engagement, offering people of all ages the chance to be part of Tour history. More details will be announced when the full programme launches in the spring.
To read the full announcement and find out more, please visit letourgb.com.
For all the latest announcements and more on what will be happening here in Blackburn with Darwen, please follow the Council’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Filed under : Tour de France