Universal United Kingdom
The Universal United Kingdom Resort, or simply Universal United Kingdom, is a 700-acre 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. The second was the 1998 acquisition of PortAventura and later development of Universal Mediterranea in Salou, Spain, which the company sold in 2004.In August 2023, Comcast acquired construction and development company Cloud Wing UK, including of land in Bedfordshire, approximately 45 minutes north of London. In September 2023, the company registered the domain names UniversalStudiosGreatBritain.com and UniversalGreatBritain.com. The plans were officially announced on 19 December 2023, followed by a public consultation between April and May 2024, which received over 6,000 responses.
In April 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the government supported the project, with construction beginning on 12 January 2026. Universal announced a planned opening in 2031, subject to planning approvals, and released the first official concept art. 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.
On 8 September 2025, Universal registered the trademark "Universal United Kingdom Resort" with the United Kingdom's Intellectual Property Office.
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. In accordance with the SDO, construction on the theme park and resort complex commenced on 12 January 2026.
Proposal
The planned site is around south of Bedford town centre. It is bordered by the A421 to the west, the planned East West Main Line to the north-east, the Midland Main Line to the east, and Broadmead Road to the south, and comprises up to of land, including previously purchased.The plans are split into four different "zones": the "Core Zone", where the theme park and hotel are to be located; the adjacent "Lake Zone", located north of the "Core Zone" and intended for mixed-use purposes ; and two transport hubs dubbed the "East Gateway Zone" and the "West Gateway Zone".
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.