tour

The street-by-street details for the six British-based stages that will start both the men’s and women’s editions of the 2027 Tour de France have been revealed.

The three-week men’s race gets under way with a stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle on 2 July. It is followed by a route between Keswick and Liverpool before Wales hosts a third and final grand depart stage from Welshpool to Cardiff on 4 July.

The women’s event starts on 30 July with a race from Leeds to Manchester, before moving back across the Pennines to Yorkshire with a finish in Sheffield.

A testing team time trial around the streets of central London will complete the opening section of that nine-stage race.

The collaboration is a first for both races in a Super Grand Depart – the finer details of which were announced at a ceremony hosted by the Tour’s organisers ASO on Paris’ Palais de Congres on Thursday.

Men’s race director Christian Prudhomme added: “Just a few weeks apart, the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will each take their respective pelotons on a journey through the roads of the United Kingdom.

“Along with what we anticipate will be a warm and massive welcome for the champions, Great Britain also offers us a symbol that further ties the two races together. From the start on 2 July at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, which will be the northernmost in the history of the Tour, to a team time trial in London on 1 August.

“Needless to say, there will be thousands of thrills and emotions.”

Stages of the Tour have been held in the UK before, in 1974, 1994 and 2007 in London and the Yorkshire Grand Depart in 2014.

This will be the first time both men’s and women’s events have come to the same nation outside France in the same year.

NOTHING says Christmas quite like streets filled with twinkling lights – especially the spectacular displays put up in London.

This year you can score 20% off the magical Christmas Lights London Bus tour AND even get a free Thames cruise.

Save 20% on The Original Tour’s Christmas Lights London Bus Tour + claim a FREE Thames sightseeing cruise. Use code: FESTIVELONDON

The tour usually costs £36 for adults and £22 for kids, but you’ll get tickets for £28.80 and £17.60, respectively, using our discount code.

The tour starts on Coventry Street, where you’ll climb aboard one of London’s famous double-decker buses and get cosy on your guaranteed upper deck seat.

The Christmas-themed bus will then take you through London‘s best-decorated spots, alongside festive facts and jokes from a live tour guide.

Along the route you’ll tick off famous spots such as Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and more.

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Make sure to snap some pictures of the world-famous, glittering Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, gifted to the UK all the way from Norway.

And in a brand new route for 2026, you’ll now also cruise down Regent Street, known for its giant glimmering angels with golden wings spread high overhead.

Oxford Street sees a canopy of sparkling hanging stars, while posh Bond Street goes all out with fancy displays illuminating the high-end shops and hotels.

Picadilly Circus acts like the grand junction of all these fantastic displays, with its giant screens running festive takeovers and the glowing spillover of surrounding streets in the distance.

Whether you’re visiting London with the kids, ticking off the sights with friends or wanting a romantic date beneath the stars, the tour is suitable for all ages and occasions.

The best way to make the most of the tour? Grab a hot chocolate before boarding, wrap up in your cosiest hat and scarf, and make sure to pose for pictures as you cruise right under the impressive displays.

The tour lasts up to 90 minutes, running from November 14 and January 3,.

You have lots of options too with the first bus departing at 4:30pm and the last at 9pm.

Save 20% on The Original Tour’s Christmas Lights London Bus Tour + claim a FREE Thames sightseeing cruise. Use code: FESTIVELONDON

Tots under two travel free, and there’s space on every bus to pop your pram and buggy.

That’s not all, however. If you purchase the Christmas Lights London Bus Tour, you also get a daytime Thames River cruise thrown in completely for free.

That means you can experience a full-on sightseeing day in London, taking in the sights from the water in the daylight on the river cruise, before taking in the city by night on your bus tour.

On the Thames River cruise you’ll tick off top landmarks like Big Ben, the London Eye and more, so by the end of your big day in London you’ll have taken in the very best the city has to offer.

Cruises start from Westminster Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier, or the London Eye Pier, giving you flexibility in how you plan your day.

As well as a free river cruise, you’ll also get SIX free self-guided walking tours thrown in.

So when you’re not aboard the boat or open-top bus, you’ll have plenty of guidance on which sights are best to see by foot.

The audio tours include the Wizard’s Walk (a Harry Potter-themed tour) as well as a spooky Jack the Ripper tour, and you can listen to them on The Original Tour’s partner app.

With three ways to explore the city bundled into one, it’s hard to find a better value way to experience London at Christmas.

Save 20% on The Original Tour’s Christmas Lights London Bus Tour + claim a FREE Thames sightseeing cruise. Use code: FESTIVELONDON

Terms and Conditions:
Code FESTIVELONDON expires on January 3, 2027 at 11:59pm BST. The offer is available from 12 October 2026 until 3 January 2027, with tours running daily from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The discount applies to adult and child tickets only, excludes family tickets and cannot be combined with other offers. Blackout dates apply and are from 21 December 2026 to 30 December 2026. Blackout dates are dates in which promotional offers cannot be used. Full T&Cs can be found on The Original Tour’s website at  theoriginaltour.com

Prices correct at the time of publication.

GARY Barlow was spotted enjoying some down time with a posh lunch, as he relaxed after Take That’s gruelling concerts recently came to an end.

The singer, 55, was seen in deep conversation with a TikTok star, after recently admitting he could “never physically do” his band’s famous Circus tour again.

But yesterday, the Take That legend was spotted making the most of his free time and was seen in deep conversation with social media wine expert, Tom Gilbey, 54.

The pair were spotted having a catch-up over lunch in an up- market restaurant in London’s Notting Hill.

For his afternoon out, Gary kept things casual in a black jumper, tracksuit bottoms and baseball cap.

As the two men settled down for lunch, they were seen chatting happily together.

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The pair had previously starred in one of Tom’s TikTok videos together, as Gary has his own wine label.

Gary is using his downtime to relax, after Take That’s recent tour wrapped in the summer.

The singer and his band mates Mark Owen, 54, and Howard Donald, 58, travelled the UK with their Circus show this year that they first performed to audiences back in 2009.

But when the concerts ended, Gary, who shot to fame when he was just 19, revealed that it was unlikely he would put the famous tour on again, as he opened up on the physical toll.

“Best tour ever – to say that 35 years into our career is saying something #circuslive. And another tour comes to a close,” he said in an emotional statement.

“Somehow, this one feels a little different. With the other tours, it’s always comforting to know there will almost definitely be a next time. But I’m pretty sure this tour won’t return.

“I was 38 when we originally did this show, and I have to say it’s been a whole other challenge doing it as a 55-year-old,

“I just can’t see a way I could physically do this show again.”

Gary ended the statement with: “So, it’s with an extremely heavy heart that I leave The Circus in my past.

“I got to run away with The Circus twice. Now I’m running towards our next exciting, brand new show.”

STEPPING on to the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury in 2023 was a big moment for Texas, who had last played at the festival 24 years earlier.

But whatever expectations frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri and her band had for the gig were blown out of the water, because it sent them stratospheric once again and gained them thousands of new fans.

Now they are capitalising on their expanded fanbase by heading out on an 11-date arena tour of the UK and Ireland next October, and releasing a 30th anniversary version of their No1 album White On Blonde, featuring hits including Say What You Want, Black Eyed Boy and Halo.

And as good news comes in threes, today Texas have also released a new single, Another Way To Cry.

In an exclusive chat, Sharleen told me of their success: “I think it tastes sweeter than it ever has.

“The honest truth is that when we did that Glastonbury a couple of years ago, you never know how it’s going to go, but that Glastonbury changed everything. Suddenly there was a whole new audience that wanted to see Texas and we announced that tour off the back of that.

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“It just was a moment of, ‘Wow, people really do still want to see us.’ When you look out into that audience, the ages vary all over the shop. It’s quite extraordinary.

“There’s been lots of people going, ‘When are you going on tour?’ so it’s good that there is still that desire to see us, and for us, that just makes the desire to go and play even stronger than it’s ever been.”

If you have not seen Texas yet, I urge you to snap up tickets when they go on general sale at 10am next Friday, October 30.

There, you will be able to hear the Scottish rockers’ new single, which is a rollicking, brassy singalong with Sharleen’s bluesy voice shining strong.

The accompanying video — an ode to the film Paris Texas, which was the inspiration for the band’s name — sees her exploring the Scottish highlands and bumping into fellow Scot, Trainspotting star Robert Carlyle.

On shooting the visuals, she said: “We had every season in the space of an hour, which was extraordinary, but that’s Scotland. We had scorching sun, pouring rain then sleet and hail stones and wind.

“It was fun, alongside our mates the Highland cattle, which was fantastic.”

And she insisted the Highland cows in the video were genuine. She continued: “It’s not AI, they were actually there. There was one point where me and Robert were walking down the road and they were coming right up, and they’re gigantic and they’ve got horns.

“If it just moved its head in the wrong direction and you’re anywhere near that horn you’re getting whacked by it.”

Thankfully they emerged unscathed and Sharleen has since been back in the studio.

Asked if there is an album of new music on the way too, she said: “Yeah, we’re working on a new record.”

As for White On Blonde, which will be out on February 5, Texas are chuffed it is being released on vinyl for the first time after they were recently fleeced trying to buy another of their records on the format.

She explained: “There was only ever vinyl made for the Press. We actually had to buy one of the old albums back because we’d given them away.

“We ended up buying our own record back for £1,200, about a year ago, because we needed it for a video. It was hysterical. I was literally like, ‘What? £1,200!’”

And they have got someone special on board to write the liner notes — Peter Kay.

Speaking about the comedian, who directed and starred in the 2006 video for their song Sleep, she said: “Peter is such a big music and Texas fan, and he’s a big friend of ours. He’s so geeky in his knowledge of music and stuff like that.

“It just felt exactly right because of his connection to the band and the fact he made the video for us and he bought White On Blonde and he’d always talked about it.

“It felt like the absolute right thing to do.”

I DON’T HAVE RIGHT TRAITS

SHARLEEN turned down the chance to go on The Celebrity Traitors in her native Scotland – insisting she’s a “s*** liar.”

She was approached by the series producers, but doesn’t think she’s competitive enough to be a success on Claudia Winkleman’s hit show.

She explained: “I’m very flattered to have been asked and I said, ‘Thank you, but no.’ I couldn’t do it.

“I absolutely love The Traitors. It’s such a great, unbelievable programme and I’m watching it currently and I just couldn’t do it. I’d be all over the shop.

“I’d gladly play the game. But I’m a s*** liar. That is the truth. I wouldn’t remember who I told a lie to or what I did and I’m not that big of a player.

“I’d probably go, ‘Nah, you’re alright.’ The thing is, the only place I’m really competitive is on a stage.

“In games I’m really not competitive at all. So I’d probably be really rubbish.”

She added: “I want to be a fan, but not a fan in it. I want to be a fan watching it. I’m very happy with that situation.”

JADE-D BY PRINCESS FAILURE

JADE has revealed she was “devastated” not to land the role of Princess Jasmine in 2019’s live-action remake of Aladdin, after the role went to Naomi Scott.

The Little Mix star, who auditioned for director Guy Ritchie, said: “I was pretty devastated. I think I got down to the last few. I sent a letter once I knew they’d reached out, saying that Jasmine was my sort of idol growing up.

“She was the only character I could really look up to as someone of Arab heritage, so Princess Jasmine was who I dreamed of being.”

On Channel 4’s The Assembly, she added: “I did three rounds of auditions. I sang A Whole New World in Guy Ritchie’s living room.

“I didn’t get the part and that’s fine. But I was quite sad for some time, definitely. I was gutted, I can’t lie.”

JUDI DENCH says panned 2019 Cats movie was a “waste” of Andrew Llloyd Webber’s “goodwill and talent.”

She starred as Old Deuteronomy in the much-mocked movie and in her new memoir, she writes: “Oh God, I can’t bear it – and he had waited so long for it to be made.

“What a waste of all that goodwill and talent.”

JAY-Z’S UP FOR THE BIG GAME

JAY-Z has chosen himself to be the headline act for next year’s Super Bowl half-time show, according to a report in the US.

Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus were said to be in talks to perform at the show in Los Angeles on February 14.

Instead the rapper, who’s firm Roc Nation has had a deal with the NFL since 2019, will be taking centre stage.

He has yet to comment on the story, although he’s set to perform two shows at the SoFi Stadium in LA this Friday – where the big game will be held –so he may well announce it there.

His wife Beyonce previously headlined in 2013 and then joined Coldplay during their set there three years later.

And I imagine he’d want her as a guest if he takes to the pitch, too.

Jenna’s looking pawsome

JENNA ORTEGA has been to London, Rome and New York in the past week and she’s had a special someone by her side the whole time – her pet pooch.

The Wednesday actress, who wore this beaded dress for the US premiere of her new film Klara And The Sun in the Big Apple on Monday, said her whippet Twigs helps her stay grounded.

Jenna, who posed for pics in New York with co-star Amy Adams and director Taika Waititi, said: “My dog follows me everywhere.

“It’s hard doing the job that I do, travelling to all of these different hotels and foreign countries, so to have something that is consistent and true, and looks after me, and I look after her, it’s nice.”

That dog must have racked up more air miles this week than I have all year.

BLUNT’S A TRAITOR FUME RESIDENTS

RESIDENTS of the London borough of Acton have dubbed James Blunt a traitor.

He filmed his new Circles music video there, but then pretended it was somewhere else.

I revealed snaps of the Celebrity Traitors star riding around on a mini tractor while shooting the video in a park last week.

But locals soon spotted James had renamed Acton’s mainline station “Battersham”, leaving them fuming.

“We thought James was going to put Acton on the map with his video,” a friend, who sent me snaps of James recording his video, told me after seeing the clip.

“It’s not Battersham, this is Acton. And we’re proud of it.”

NO DIRTY A.I TRICKS IN DANCING SEQUEL

THE producer behind the Dirty Dancing sequel insists they won’t bring back Patrick Swayze using AI.

Jennifer Grey will reprise the role of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman and film bosses are working out how to celebrate late actor Patrick, who died in 2009.

Producer Nina Jacobson said: “That’s one of the things that you really have to focus on: how to let people mourn him in a movie. And don’t worry – we won’t be bringing him back with AI.”

She said they are “trying to chase the feeling of that original movie”.

Nina added: “Being able to tell a young love story that could take some of those risks but also inspire those feelings felt like an incredible chance for us.”

PHIL JOINS PIRATES CREW

PIRATES Of The Caribbean is being brought to life by Secret Cinema – and they’ve got a household name on board to help out.

I can reveal Phil Daniels, who starred in EastEnders, and whose voice featured in Blur’s 1994 hit Parklife, has joined the cast as Captain Barbossa.

Johnny Depp’s character Jack Sparrow will be played by Olivier Award winner George Maguire.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Immersive Adventure, opens in February and has already had its run extended by six weeks due to demand.

It will also be the first production by Secret Cinema –  which allows punters to watch films on the big screen while the action also unfolds around them – at its purpose-built flagship venue in London’s Greenwich.

Time to ready my sea legs.

LIAM GALLAGHER is winding up Oasis fans by claiming they’ve already finished a new album – but I’m not so sure.

Responding to someone on X who wrote: “Oasis have SEVEN great albums and those songs will LIVE FOREVER”, rocker Liam said: “8 including the new 1.”

I’ll believe it when I hear it.