Barcelona has unveiled its Festa Major del Tour, an extensive program boasting more than sixty cultural, commercial, gastronomic, and sporting activities. This event aims to welcome the prestigious French cycling race, which will commence in the Catalan capital this year. The festivities are scheduled to take place across the city's ten districts between June 26 and July 5, coinciding with the second stage of the race arriving at Montjuïc.
The total cost for this celebration amounts to 460,000 euros. Mayor Jaume Collboni highlighted that this festival is positioned as a "third major festival" for Barcelona, joining the traditional Santa Eulàlia and La Mercè celebrations. During the presentation, the creation of "Pa del Tour" (Tour Bread), a special bread shaped like a bicycle wheel, was announced, along with the unveiling of the event's official poster.
The first stage of the Tour in Barcelona will occur on Saturday, July 4, featuring a team time trial with Montjuïc as the focal point. To commemorate this historic start, the municipality has organized several preceding activities. The mayor encouraged citizen participation, stating, "We want the Grand Départ to be a great citizen festival, and in Mediterranean cities, the quintessential popular celebration is the festa major."
The program includes ten concerts on main stages located at Plaça de la Catedral and Plaça de Margarida Xirgu, with performances by groups such as Doctor Prats, Ladilla Rusa, Suu, Sexenni, 31 FAM, and Sidonie. Additionally, eight performing arts and dance companies will participate, eighteen street performances will be held, and the traveling float-show "Le Tour on Tour" will tour the ten districts with music and street theater. Traditional elements like giant parades, human tower performances (castellers), and other popular culture events will also be featured.
The activities will also involve fourteen commercial axes, forty municipal markets and guilds, six shopping centers, and over 2,500 shops that will be decorated for the celebration. As is customary for a major festival, the event will commence with an opening speech delivered by a figure "well-known in the city and beyond," who is also a cycling enthusiast.
During the presentation, the "Pa del Tour" was introduced, created by baker Enric Badia from Forn Elias. This bread, shaped like a bicycle wheel and made with sun-dried tomatoes and Comté cheese, aims to fuse Catalan and French cultures. The Gremi de Flequers de Barcelona (Bakers' Guild of Barcelona) will share the recipe with all bakeries in the city.
