Universal Studios UK Gets Green Light!
Universal Studios UK has officially been given the go ahead, and we only have 6 years to wait until it opens!
Universal Destinations & Experiences – the company behind Universal Studios ongoing global expansion unveiled official plans for Europe’s FIRST Universal Studios theme park here in the UK earlier today.
The exciting new world class tourist attraction, set to be the UK’s LARGEST once complete is set to create a total of 28,000 jobs – 20,000 during the construction phase and 8,000 once open. It’s also expected to attract visitors from all around the world too generating nearly £50 Billion of economic benefit for the UK in the years that follow.
Universal Studios UK will also feature up to FOUR fully themed lands, a mixture of indoor and outdoor attractions (including what look to be 3 major roller coasters), feature a 500 room onsite hotel and offer a City Walk style entertainment and leisure district to boot.
Along with today’s announcement came our first look at Universal Destinations & Experiences official concept art for the park which is said to be on the same scale as the likes of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Orlando.
As well as announcing their intend to proceed officially over on their website, Universal Destinations & Experiences also shared the following;
“Universal Destinations & Experiences, a unit of Comcast NBC Universal, intends to build and operate the company’s first-ever theme park and resort in the United Kingdom, located in Bedford, pending planning consent approvals.”
“Our intent to proceed with the project follows more than a year of feasibility, due diligence, and close engagement with local and national stakeholders, as well as members of the local surrounding communities”
Pending planning approval, construction of Universal Studios UK is estimated to begin construction in 2026 with a planned opening date of 2031.
During public consultation, plans for the UK’s Universal Studios project received overwhelming support from both residents local to Bedford and the relevant authorities alike with 92% of those attending showing support for Europe’s first Universal theme park resort.
Universal Studios UK will also see major public transport infrastructure receive significant upgrades and improvements to deal with the increased traffic and footfall too. This includes major expansion of the Wixams railway station, direct slip roads from the A421 to accommodate increased traffic flow, an upgraded Manor Road and improvements to the Active Travel Network.
Other than the above, no further information regarding planned lands or attractions have yet been shared, but it’s estimated we could see world famous IP’s such as Jurassic World, Minions and even Back to the Future make an appearance at this brand new park.
Today not only marks a HUGE step forward for Universal’s ongoing global expansion but also signifies the beginning of a brand new era for UK theme park fans and the UK industry as a whole.
Stay tuned over the coming months for even more updates on what we can expect from Universal Studios UK as and when more information drops.