Universal Officially Moving Forward With U.K. Theme Park & Resort; Construction To Begin In 2026
Just one month before it is set to open its highly-anticipated Epic Universe expansion in Orlando, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced today that it will proceed with previously-teased plans to build a new theme park in the United Kingdom.
In June of last year, UDX announced it was carrying out feasibility and due diligence studies and was set to make a final decision on the project by the end of this year. Today's announcement is the result of that process.
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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.
The theme park unit of Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal announced in December 2023 that it had acquired the 476-acre site for a proposed new UK location outside the town of Bedford, some 60 miles northwest of London. See map below.
'This is a special and historic milestone moment for our company as we continue to accelerate the growth trajectory of our theme parks business and delight audiences around the world,' said Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation. 'The unparalleled storytelling and technological innovation that the incredible team at Universal Destinations & Experiences brings to life is a perfect complement to the British creative arts and tourism industries.'
The project is expected to deliver £50B of direct and indirect benefit in the UK, which translates to just shy of $64B. That includes 20,000 construction jobs over the next few years as well as 8,000 posts once the site was operational. See fact sheet below.
'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. 'Expanding into Europe presents us with a significant opportunity to reach new fans and share the incredible experiences our team creates.'
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