Universal United Kingdom

Universal United Kingdom Resort
Concept art
Interactive map of Universal United Kingdom Resort
LocationKempston Hardwick, Bedford, England
Coordinates52°05′23.1″N 0°29′58.5″W / 52.089750°N 0.499583°W / 52.089750; -0.499583
StatusUnder construction
OwnerNBCUniversal (Comcast)
Operated byUniversal Destinations & Experiences
Theme
Area476–700 acres (193–283 ha)
Websiteuniversalukproject.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

The Universal United Kingdom Resort (A.K.A. Universal Studios Great Britain), is a 700-acre (3 km2) theme park and resort complex in Bedfordshire, England. The park will be the eighth Universal Studios Resort, and the first in Europe since Universal sold Universal Mediterranea in 2004. Construction of the resort started on 12 January 2026 with a completion date of 2031.

History

Before the development of the UK park, Universal Destinations & Experiences had twice attempted to establish a resort in Europe. The first, a planned park in Sénart, France, was cancelled due to the underperformance of Euro Disneyland.[1] The second was the 1998 acquisition of PortAventura and later development of Universal Mediterranea in Salou, Spain, which the company sold in 2004.[2]

In August 2023, Comcast acquired construction and development company Cloud Wing UK,[3] including 476 acres (0.7 sq mi; 1.9 km2) of land in Bedfordshire, approximately 45 minutes north of London.[4] In September 2023, the company registered the domain names UniversalStudiosGreatBritain.com and UniversalGreatBritain.com.[5] The plans were officially announced on 19 December 2023,[6] followed by a public consultation between April and May 2024, which received over 6,000 responses.[7]

In April 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the government supported the project, with construction beginning on 12 January 2026.[8] Universal announced a planned opening in 2031, subject to planning approvals, and released the first official concept art.[9] The company estimates that the project could generate nearly £50 billion for the economy by 2055, including an estimated 28,000 jobs, and 8.5 million visitors in the first year.[10]

On 8 September 2025, Universal registered the trademark "Universal United Kingdom Resort" with the United Kingdom's Intellectual Property Office.[11]

On 16 December 2025, planning permission was approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government via the issuance of a Special Development Order (SDO).[12] In accordance with the SDO, construction on the theme park and resort complex commenced on 12 January 2026.[13]

Proposal

The planned site is around 3 miles (5 km) south of Bedford town centre. It is bordered by the A421 to the west, the planned East West Main Line to the north-east,[a] the Midland Main Line to the east, and Broadmead Road to the south, and comprises up to 700 acres (280 ha) of land, including 476 acres (193 ha) previously purchased.[4][14]

The plans are split into four different "zones": the "Core Zone", where the theme park and hotel(s) are to be located; the adjacent "Lake Zone" (based on existing lakes formed by diggings at the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks), located north of the "Core Zone" and intended for mixed-use purposes (likely a Universal CityWalk); and two transport hubs dubbed the "East Gateway Zone" and the "West Gateway Zone".[4][15]

The plans also include expanding the partially constructed Wixams railway station and building a new station on the East West line to replace Kempston Hardwick railway station, as well as upgrading the local road network, including dedicated slip roads from the A421.[4][15][16]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ The section between Bletchley (Milton Keynes) and Bedford, currently known as the Marston Vale line, is planned to become part of the proposed East West main line, the new line between Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes (for the West Coast Main Line) and Tempsford (for the East Coast Main Line). See East West Rail.

Citations

  1. ^ Williams, Michael (14 April 1993). "MCA in talks to become Euro Disney neighbor". Variety. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  2. ^ Hopewell, John; Geitz, Christopher (20 June 2004). "U sells Port Aventura stake". Variety. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Notification of Comcast Corporation as a person with significant control on 31 August 2023". Companies House. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Information Pack (April 2024)" (PDF). Universal UK Project. p. 6.
  5. ^ "'Universal Studios Great Britain' mooted". 18 December 2023. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Universal UK Project". Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Alice (26 June 2024). "Bedfordshire Universal Studios resort could open 365 days a year". BBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Prime minister confirms new UK Universal theme park in Bedford that will open in 2031". BBC News. 9 April 2025. Archived from the original on 8 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Universal opens supplier applications for upcoming UK theme park". Attractions Daily. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Multi-billion-pound investment secured as Universal theme park and resort set to be built in Bedford, bringing thousands of jobs". GOV.UK. 9 April 2025. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  11. ^ Fullbrook, Danny (10 September 2025). "Universal registers potential name for UK resort". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  12. ^ Sweney, Mark (16 December 2025). "Universal Studios UK theme park given planning permission in Bedfordshire". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  13. ^ "Dentons advises His Majesty's Government on Special Development Order for Universal Studios theme park". www.dentons.com. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  14. ^ Fullbrook, Danny (30 January 2025). "Universal UK resort talks ongoing, says government". BBC News. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  15. ^ a b Hutchinson, Paul (21 February 2025). "Universal Studios UK: The story so far". Bedford Independent. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  16. ^ "James Bond, Paddington and Lord of the Rings set for Universal UK". BBC News. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.


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