First Universal theme park in Europe coming to UK in 2031
Even though it is just over a month away from opening its newest Orlando park — Universal Epic Universe — and has themed developments in the works near Dallas and in Las Vegas, this rapidly expanding theme park brand isn't slowing down. On Tuesday, Comcast NBCUniversal announced its plans to build the first-ever Universal theme park in Europe, set to open in 2031.
The proposed park, which is still subject to final approval, is being planned for Bedford, England, a town 35 miles north of London by train. It will be Universal's fifth theme park, with existing locations in the U.S., Japan, Singapore and China.
"Bringing the Universal brand to the United Kingdom is another exciting step forward in generating future growth," Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal destinations and experiences, said in a press release. "Expanding into Europe presents us with a significant opportunity to reach new fans and share the incredible experiences our team creates."
In addition to a theme park, Universal plans to build a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and entertainment complex outside the park gates. In 2023, Comcast acquired a 476-acre parcel of land in Bedford and began feasibility and due diligence work in 2024.
The park's planned location is easy to access via high-speed rail. Plus, more than 80% of England's population and half of the U.K. population live within two hours of the proposed park, according to the press release.
Universal has not yet announced any of the proposed rides or lands coming to the park, but concept art shows several themed lands and a mix of thrill rides and family-friendly attractions.
"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," Mike Cavanagh, president of Comcast Corporation, said in a press release.
Construction on Universal's U.K. park is scheduled to begin in 2026, pending final government approval. The project is expected to have a 50 billion pound (about $63.8 billion) economic impact in the area and could attract as many as 8.5 million visitors in its first year.
Stay tuned to TPG for additional details as they are released.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month