Leeds residents invited to volunteer at Grand Départ

People in Leeds can now apply to volunteer at one of the city’s biggest sporting moments of the decade, as recruitment opens for the 2027 Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

The city will host the start of stage one on Friday, July 30, 2027, when riders set off from the Headrow before travelling through parts of Leeds and onward towards Manchester. Volunteers, officially called JOY Makers, will support event operations, help spectators and play a visible role in delivering the race weekend.

Applications are open to anyone aged 16 or over. No previous volunteering experience is required, and organisers say full training will be provided.

Volunteer applications are open until September

The JOY Makers registration window opened on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, and will run until Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

A total of 9,000 volunteers are being sought across the Grand Départ stages for both the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and the men’s Tour de France, which will also visit the UK in 2027.

For Leeds residents, the opportunity is tied to the first stage of the women’s race, which begins in the city before the route heads towards Manchester. Further stages will run from Manchester to Sheffield on Saturday, July 31, and finish in London on Sunday, August 1.

JOY Makers will support spectators and race operations

Organisers say JOY Makers will be trained for a range of practical event roles. These include event operations support and spectator engagement, with volunteers helping the day run smoothly for residents, visitors and race teams.

The programme is part of JOY, the social impact scheme running alongside the 2027 Grand Départs. Its aim is to connect communities, improve health and wellbeing, and offer personal development opportunities linked to the major cycling events.

Volunteers aged 18 to 25 will also be eligible for the Readiness to Work scheme. That programme will provide employability skills training and career-focused mentoring across multiple sectors, giving younger volunteers a route to build experience beyond the race itself.

British Cycling’s Tracy Power, who is leading the JOY programme, said the scheme would create a core of volunteers across Britain who are ready to support local events and activities.

“Whether you have volunteered before, are a regular on a bike or are completely new to volunteering and the world of cycling, everyone is welcome as a JOY Maker,” she said.

Leeds route will start on the Headrow

The Leeds stage will begin on the Headrow, with riders completing a partial loop of the city centre before heading out towards Headingley.

The route will then pass Headingley Stadium and continue down to Kirkstall, before moving towards Bramley. From there, riders are expected to travel south via Gamble Hill and Farnley, then west to Drighlington before crossing into Kirklees and continuing over the Pennines towards Manchester.

Full road details, temporary closures and traffic restrictions have not yet been published. Leeds City Council says information for residents and businesses will be announced in due course, with local engagement due to begin this summer.

Residents who want updates on how the day will operate can join the Leeds-specific mailing list through Visit Leeds.

City leaders expect a major local turnout

Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said the volunteer call showed the race would be “an occasion for the whole city to enjoy”.

He said it would be “great to see people of all ages and from all communities doing their bit to support the event, while also creating special memories for themselves.”

Leeds has previous experience of hosting a major Tour de France moment. Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre for the 2014 Grand Départ, with another two million spectators lining the wider Yorkshire route. A report by Leeds City Council and UK Sport found that the 2014 event boosted Yorkshire’s economy by more than £100 million.

In 2027, Leeds will become the first place outside mainland Europe to host the start of stage one of a Grand Départ for both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Source: Leeds City Council