Special Olympics torch reaches Figueres on 6 October

Special Olympics torch reaches Figueres on 6 October

The flame of the Special Olympics Games 2026 will pass through Figueres on Tuesday 6 October, days before the competition opens in Tarragona.

The local leg will start at 18.30 in plaça Catalunya. The torch will then travel along the Rambla and end in plaça de l'Ajuntament, the square in front of the town hall, where the cauldron will be lit. The city council gives 19.15 as the time for the lighting. The organisers' schedule lists the Figueres event as running from 18.30 to 20.30.

A Games for athletes with intellectual disabilities

The Special Olympics Games bring together athletes with intellectual disabilities from across Catalonia, Spain and other European countries. They compete in a range of sports, and the organisers describe the event as a way to enjoy sport and help build a more inclusive society.

This year's edition will be held in Tarragona from 9 to 12 October. It is the 13th edition and is organised by the Federació ACELL, the Catalan sports federation for people with intellectual disabilities. The non-profit body was founded in 1971. It promotes, organises and regulates sport for people with intellectual disabilities and adapts it where needed to their abilities, circumstances and preferences.

Two weeks on the road

The torch relay began on 24 September and runs until 8 October. It visits 15 Catalan municipalities as well as Andorra la Vella. The aim is to take the Games to different parts of the country, involve local councils and give residents a chance to take part before the competition starts.

"For us, it is a way of sharing with the public what we want Tarragona 2026 to stand for: sport, competition and equal opportunities," said Pepa Muñoz, president of the Federació ACELL-Special Olympics. She added that the federation wants the Games to make sport for people with intellectual disabilities more visible and to give athletes a boost so they can keep training, competing and improving all year round.

The route started in Granollers, which hosted the previous Games in 2023. The full schedule is:

  • Granollers - 24 September, 18.30 to 20.30
  • Calella - 25 September, 12.00 to 14.00
  • Mataró - 26 September, 12.00 to 14.00
  • Vilanova i la Geltrú - 27 September, 11.00 to 13.00
  • Girona - 28 September, 16.30 to 18.30
  • Andorra la Vella - 30 September, 18.00 to 20.00
  • Lleida - 1 October, 16.30 to 18.30
  • Sant Cugat - 2 October, 18.00 to 20.00
  • Barcelona - 3 October, 18.00 to 20.00
  • Badalona - 4 October, 11.00 to 13.00
  • Igualada - 5 October, 12.00 to 14.00
  • Lloret de Mar - 6 October, 11.00 to 13.00
  • Figueres - 6 October, 18.30 to 20.30
  • Amposta - 7 October, 18.00 to 20.00
  • Reus - 8 October, 10.00 to 12.00
  • Tarragona - 8 October, 18.00 to 20.00

Figueres shares its date with Lloret de Mar, which holds its event in the morning.

Athletes carry the flame

Each stop follows the same format. A two-hour event takes the flame through several streets to a final point, where the cauldron is lit. Athletes who will compete in this year's Games act as torchbearers. At the end of each route they light the cauldron together with local officials.

The biggest stop is Barcelona on 3 October. The torch will leave plaça de Catalunya and cover about one kilometre to plaça de Sant Jaume, in front of the Palau de la Generalitat, the seat of the Catalan government, with 10 handovers along the way. Circus acts and presenter Pep Callau will entertain the crowd while it waits. The square will also have a stall selling Games scarves, a balloon point and a photocall.

After the cauldron is lit, speeches are planned from Pepa Muñoz, FC Barcelona board member Elena Fort, and representatives of the Generalitat and Barcelona City Council. Jofre Bardagí and Marina will perform as the flame reaches the stage, and singer Suu will close the event with two songs.

The relay ends in Tarragona on 8 October, the day before the Games open. The torch will start at the city's Roman amphitheatre, pass through the historic centre and finish in plaça de la Font, where the cauldron will be lit in the presence of Muñoz and the mayor of Tarragona.

Why It Matters

For readers in Empuriabrava and Castelló d'Empúries, the Figueres stop is the closest chance to see the relay. It is a short drive away and takes place in the early evening, which makes it easy to attend after work or school. Figueres is the only Alt Empordà town on the route. This suggests the capital of the comarca, or county, is being used as the reference point for the whole area.

The event also adds to a busy start to October in Figueres, which includes the opening of the old prison gardens a few days earlier. The city has hosted sport on a larger stage recently too, with local athletes winning European Cup silver on home ice.

It is worth watching whether athletes from the Alt Empordà are among the torchbearers, and whether the federation's hope for a lasting boost translates into more regular sport for people with intellectual disabilities in the county once the Games in Tarragona are over.