Universal Destinations & Experiences, home to Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, has announced it will build a new theme park in the United Kingdom. This will also be the first Universal-branded theme park and resort in Europe
In addition to a multi-land park, the resort will also feature a 500-room hotel, and a retail, dining and entertainment complex
The 476-acre parcel of land in Bedford, 35 miles north of London, was purchased by Comcast in 2023, and is ideally located with convenient, fast rail links to London and connectivity to the rest of the country, with more than 80 percent of England’s population and half of the UK population living within two hours travel time.
According to Universal, it also provides fantastic connectivity to the rest of Europe, promising to be one of the highest-attended attractions in the continent and to bring in millions of new visitors to the UK.
The UK project is subject to securing planning approval. A proposal along those lines will be submitted to UK Government in the months ahead with a projected construction start date in 2026.
“Bringing the Universal brand to the United Kingdom is another exciting step forward in generating future growth,” said Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences in the press release. “Expanding into Europe presents us with a significant opportunity to reach new fans and share the incredible experiences our team creates.”
The project is expected to deliver £50B of direct and indirect benefit in the UK, which translates to just shy of $64B US. That includes 20,000 construction jobs over the next few years as well as 8,000 park posts once the theme park is operational.
I’ll keep you updated as we get closer to opening this new park. Until then theme park fans can check out the opening of Epic Universe at Universal Orlando on May 22, 2025.
Later in 2025, Universal Horror Unleashed, a year-round horror entertainment experience will open in Las Vegas, Nevada, followed by Universal Kids Resort, the company’s first theme park designed specifically for families with young children, opening in Frisco, Texas in 2026.
- Zengrrl’s Movie Review: “Fear Street: Prom Queen” on Netflix (2025) - May 23, 2025
- Netflix Offers New Home to Sesame Street - May 19, 2025
- Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025: A Recap of the Film and TV News - April 21, 2025
- Universal Destinations & Experiences To Open New Theme Park In The United Kingdom - April 8, 2025
- Marvel Studios Announces 27 Actors Added To ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ Cast Including Some X-Men - March 26, 2025
- Universal Kids Resort Reveals Immersive Themed Lands at New Theme Park Coming To Texas in 2026 - February 22, 2025
- Tickets Now on Sale for Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas - February 20, 2025
- Taco Bell Launches Nationwide Decades Menu Full of Nostalgic Favorites Oct 31 - October 28, 2024
- AirBnB Releases Another Icon House That Can Be Booked by Prince Fans - September 28, 2024
- Review: ‘Kaos’ on Netflix Proves to Be an Enjoyable Dark Comedic Retelling of Greek Mythology - September 1, 2024
