Major update on Universal theme park to be built near Cambridgeshire

The name and logo of the UK’s Universal theme park in Bedfordshire have been officially unveiled

The name and branding of the UK’s Universal theme park have been revealed, alongside announcements of £7.3 billion worth of investment into the scheme by the American entertainment giant and the Government.

The attraction will be called Universal United Kingdom Resort, with work already underway and construction due to commence shortly.

Universal anticipates the development, which will be the company’s first theme park and resort in Europe, will deliver almost £50 billion of economic value to the UK economy by 2055.

The theme park is projected to draw millions of visitors every year, including over a million additional international tourists, with the resort poised to become the UK’s leading tourist destination.

Comcast NBCUniversal has pledged to invest more than £5 billion in the entertainment resort complex throughout the anticipated five-year construction period, alongside an additional £1 billion in capital expenditure during its first decade of operation.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) described it as “one of the largest-ever investments in the UK tourism sector” and said it would create nearly 20,000 jobs during construction and a further 8,000 positions when the resort launches in 2031.

The Government will back the scheme with an investment of £1.3 billion on regional and local community infrastructure to “ensure the park can operate successfully, with improved transport links for local residents and visitors from across the UK and abroad”, DCMS said. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves visited the location on Wednesday (June 3) morning and met some of the initial staff recruited for the scheme after being welcomed by Mark Woodbury, chairman and chief executive of Universal Destinations & Experiences.

Addressing Mr Woodbury and Universal employees during her maiden visit to the location, Ms Reeves, who wore a hi-vis jacket and hard hat, said: “Thank you for choosing the UK. I know that you could have chosen locations in other parts of Europe. We’re really thrilled you’re going to be here and we’re determined to work with you to make it the massive success that I know it’s going to be.”

Mr Woodbury said the resort would deliver “immersive storytelling, thrilling attractions and unparalleled creativity and innovation to the UK”.

He told Ms Reeves the firm was “ready to break ground and make this the most spectacular theme park in all of Europe, if not the world.”

Molly Murphy, president of Universal Creative, said the company was “thrilled” to have the Chancellor attend to mark the commencement of enabling works on the location.

Asked why Bedfordshire was chosen, Ms Murphy told reporters: “We chose Bedfordshire because it is an exciting place. There’s an amazing amount of creative talent in the UK that we can tap into and this place is a perfect location to build the greatest theme park in all of Europe, so we’re very excited about doing that.”

Following the site visit, the Chancellor and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hosted Brian Roberts, chairman of Comcast Corporation, and Mr Woodbury at 11 Downing Street to reveal the resort’s name and logo.

Mr Roberts said the company looked forward to “creating a spectacular destination that supports the UK creative industries and brings joy to millions for generations to come”.

The Chancellor said: “This landmark investment in the heart of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor will unlock nearly £50 billion of economic growth and create tens of thousands of jobs across Bedfordshire in construction, hospitality, creative and technology sectors.

“Our own investment in transport and infrastructure means that local people will benefit – improving connectivity, backing our creative industries, and bringing millions of visitors to the UK from across the world.”

As part of the £1.3 billion investment, the Government will provide a grant of £400 million through the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund, while DCMS will contribute a further £438 million towards new community infrastructure to “maximise the benefits of the development and support growth across the region”.

These grants will only be released once Universal has completed the community infrastructure — in the case of the DCMS grant — and formally opened the theme park and resort. The Department for Transport will also upgrade the strategic road and rail network, on the A421 and at Wixams train station at an expected cost of £474 million.

DCMS stated that Universal’s selection of Bedford for its inaugural European park is “a testament to the strength of the UK’s visitor offering and creative industries”.

It further noted that Universal had “committed to world-class training opportunities for the next generation of its workforce, including through a range of apprenticeships and internships”.

Culture Secretary Ms Nandy said: “This unparalleled investment is a huge vote of confidence in the UK and puts rocket boosters under our entertainment industry.

“When it comes to creating world-class experiences, the UK is second to none. We’re proud to be backing British industry, investing in local talent and partnering with powerhouses like Universal to create jobs, growth and opportunities across the UK.”

Over 100 people across the UK have already been taken on to work on the development, with Universal having received expressions of employment interest from approximately 33,000 individuals. Roughly 80% of the theme park and resort’s workforce is anticipated to be drawn from Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Dame Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee, described the investment as having “potential to provide a welcome boost to our tourism industry at a time when there are concerns that the policy landscape is making the UK a less attractive destination for overseas visitors”.

She went on to say: “The Government must work with Universal to ensure the project brings long-lasting benefits, not just to tourism, but also to our wider creative industries.”

Universal’s American theme parks feature rides and attractions drawn from its impressive portfolio of major blockbusters and film franchises, encompassing Minions, ET and Jurassic Park, alongside Kung Fu Panda, Fast & Furious and Shrek.

The entertainment giant currently operates five resort complexes across the globe – Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood in the US, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Universal Beijing Resort in China and Universal Studios Singapore.