Flame arrives in Figueres ahead of Tarragona Games
On Monday 6 October, the city of Figueres welcomed the Special Olympics torch as part of a regional relay ahead of the upcoming Games in Tarragona. The event, held from 18:30 to 20:30, saw the flame travel from Plaça Catalunya through the city centre to Plaça de l’Ajuntament, where it was used to light a ceremonial cauldron. Local organisations including El Dofí leisure centre, CEE Mare de Déu del Mont, UE Figueres, TEA Alt Empordà, Altem, Associació Atlètica Figueres and Club Judo Savas took part in the procession. They were joined by Pepa Muñoz, president of Federació ACELL–Special Olympics, Jordi Masquef, mayor of Figueres, and Pere Montserrat, city councillor for sport.
The torch relay brings visibility to inclusive sport and honours our athletes' dedication.
The event celebrated both the upcoming Tarragona 2026 Games and the legacy of the 2000 Special Olympics hosted in Figueres, described at the time by former International Olympic Committee president Joan Antoni Samaranch as "the best in history".
Torch relay continues across Catalonia
The relay began on 24 September in Granollers and has since passed through 15 municipalities across Catalonia and Andorra la Vella. It is organised by Federació ACELL, the Catalan sports federation for people with intellectual disabilities, which was founded in 1971 to promote, regulate and adapt sport to participants’ abilities.
After Figueres, the torch will travel to Amposta on 7 October, Reus on 8 October, and finally reach Tarragona later that day. There, the flame will arrive at the Roman amphitheatre before proceeding through the city and lighting the main cauldron in Plaça de la Font around 20:00. The official opening of the Special Olympics Tarragona 2026 takes place on Friday 9 October, with competitions running until Monday 12 October. Over 1,600 athletes with intellectual disabilities are expected to take part in up to 15 disciplines during the four-day event.
Reported by DiariTots21, empuriabrava-newsletter.com, federacioacell.org, diarideladiscapacitat.cat, tarragona.cat, federacio-acell, figueresaldia.com, gndiario.com, AutoNota, L'Empordà.
