Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2025 A boon for the Métropole

After several editions that began outside our borders, the heart of world cycling will beat to the rhythm of Lille metropole in 2025. Chosen to host the prestigious Grand Départ of the Tour de France, Destination Lille is gearing up for intense days of celebration and competition, as well as reaping the rewards of a major event in terms of image and economic spin-offs. This is not the first time that the capital of Flanders has been in the spotlight of the Tour de France. Having already hosted the event in 1960 and 1994, Lille and its metropolitan area have once again demonstrated their ability to organize events of this scale. This renewed confidence on the part of the organizers underlines the attractiveness and know-how of the Lille metropolitan area.

©Grand Depart Nord

Grand departure of the Tour de France

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The metropolis: a land of major sporting events

Drawing on its experience in hosting major events such as the Rugby World Cup 2023 and the Paris Olympic Games 2024, Lille and its metropolis are gearing up to (re)introduce visitors from all over the world to a unique experience, and particularly to our target markets, : Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Germany and Scandinavia who are very fond of cycling. Reminder:

Rugby World Cup 2023: Lille was one of the host cities for this global event, hosting several group matches in its Pierre-Mauroy stadium (Decathlon Arena). The popular enthusiasm and economic spin-offs for the metropolis were significant, demonstrating our capacity to welcome visitors.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Although the heart of the Games is in Paris, the Metropole had an important host site. The Pierre-Mauroy stadium hosted 52 basketball and handball matches. During the France-Australia match, over 27,190 people attended, breaking the European attendance record for a women’s basketball match.

The awarding of the Grand Départ du Tour de France 2025 to Lille is part of this tradition of hosting major sporting and cultural events. It testifies to the quality of its infrastructure, its organizational know-how and the region’s enthusiasm for international events. Destination Lille is the destination of choice for organizers of major events.

The metropolis is ready for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France

International exposure and tourist appeal

Beyond the immediate benefits, the Grand Départ of the Tour de France offers Destination Lille an incomparable international showcase. The images of the teams’ presentation on the Grand-Place, at the foot of the Goddess, on July 3, and of the departure on July 5 from the Champ de Mars, with the finish at the foot of the Citadelle, will be seen around the world. To welcome fans to the metropolis, the Hello Lille attraction agency has put up posters at Lille-Lesquin airport and on the back of the Lille Grand Palais, visible from the freeway. In addition, a special Tour de France edition of the City Guide will be available in 3 languages (French, English and Dutch). The city guide is the reference publication for all tourists wishing to discover the metropolis.