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The excitement and anticipation of the new Universal Studios UK resort continues, as we draw ever nearer towards finally breaking ground on this incredible project. So, what do we currently have in store? Here is everything we know so far about Universal Studios UK!

Location and trademarking

A trademark has recently surfaced that could provide an indication of the resort’s official name. The trademark ‘Universal United Kingdom Resort‘, filed on 8th September 2025, follows the previous name of ‘Universal Studios Great Britain’. With the project being labelled as a ‘resort’, this all but confirms that the development will involve much more than a simple theme park, with a hotel, shopping and dining locations, and new infrastructure in the surrounding area to complement the new offerings.

The resort, brought to the UK by Universal Destinations and Experiences, a subsidary of Comcast’s NBC Universal, is to be located in Kempston Hardwick, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The full site comprises up to 700 acres, and will have excellent travel links not just from London (roughly a 45 minute journey away), but also from the rest of the UK and other countries, due to its central location and proximity to multiple airports.

Current Progress

The latest update of the Universal UK resort is that we are still awaiting government approval for planning permission, via Special Development Order (SDO), which has been requested by Universal to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Publicity for the resort has been huge, with a lot of support shown from the government and local authorities, as it is believed the project will benefit the UK economy immensely. The project is expected to generate nearly £50 billion for the UK economy by the year 2055.

In addition to the financial benefits for the UK, the project is also expected to create approximately 8,050 new jobs in the first year of operation, with a total of around 28,000 jobs (including during the construction period) provided by the project.

The surrounding areas of the future resort are also to undergo significant infrastructure upgrades, such as new slip roads to manage traffic coming to and from the resort, and an expansion to Wixams Railway Station, to feature more platforms and accomodate a much higher volume of travellers.

It is anticipated that construction of the project will commence later in 2026, with the aim to open the resort in its initial phase in 2031. The Indicative Master Plan (pictured above) outlines the eventual aim for the various uses of the site – more information for the planned land use is available on the Universal UK Project website.

What will be featured at the resort?

The future resort has been labelled a “world-class theme park”, which promises to transport visitors to a range of ‘worlds’, featuring thrilling rides and attractions, as well as plenty of attractions aimed at the family market too. The theme park will surely be a vibrant, landmark destination with something for everyone!

An expected 8.5 million visitors per year is the aim for Universal in the resort’s first full year of operation. This yearly attendance projection will place Universal Studios UK as one of the most attended theme parks in Europe, overtaking the spectacular Europa Park in Germany, and bringing yearly attendance levels roughly in line with Disney’s Animal Kingdom park in Orlando, Florida, USA. The resort may accommodate up to 55,000 visitors on peak days alone.

Visitors will be able to stay in a 500-room hotel, which has been possibly revealed to be called the ‘Universal Studios Grand Hotel’ in another recent trademark. The accommodation offering is expected to possibly expand to around 6,000 rooms in future development phases.

In addition to the theme park and hotel (referred to as the ‘Core Zone’ on the current plans), a complex featuring retail, dining and entertainment venues is also expected to form part of the resort – likely taking the form of CityWalk, which is a free-to-enter location of other Universal destinations worldwide, framing the entrance to the theme parks in a dynamic, upbeat way.

The resort plans to hold events throughout the year, including the popular Halloween Horror Nights, where the park hours may extend until 2am. This is a huge step forward for the UK theme park scene, which currently sees limited daily hours, with closing times being at 6pm on average, and even closing at 4pm on some days. We are hopeful that the UK landscape for later opening will change and, therefore, improve our current offering, to complement the new theme park too.

Universal have remained tight-lipped about the franchises we may see brought to life at the Universal UK resort, but the concept art (shown at the beginning of this article) provides some hints for likely properties, such as Jurassic Park/World, Despicable Me/Minions and Back to the Future. Other news outlets, such as the BBC and The Sun have mentioned other possible IPs (intellectual properties) to include James Bond, Paddington Bear, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but there is currently no clear, concrete evidence to suggest that these will feature in the resort.

Perhaps the most exciting news that has been revealed from the planning application for the Universal UK resort is that there is a maximum structure height for attractions such as rollercoasters to reach 115 meters (377 ft). For context, the Red Force rollercoaster at PortAventura World in Spain (pictured above) stands at 112 meters (367ft) and reaches speeds of 112mph – this would mean that, if approved, Universal UK could open the tallest rollercoaster in Europe! As with all of the revealed detailed, however, everything is subject to planning and design changes; there is no certainty that the resort will build an attraction to this maximum height limit.

Looking at the high standard of themed entertainment provided at Universal parks and resorts around the world, including the incredible new Universal’s Epic Universe in Florida, which opened earlier this year, it is clear that the current plans for Universal UK are shaping up to bring the UK the world-class resort, as promised. The anticipation for the next announcement is continually building – be sure to check back here to find out more!

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