Universal Studios theme park to be built just an hour away from London

The promise of a Universal Studios theme park opening in the UK has existed for quite some time, with many sites being touted over the years. Now, it has finally found a home at the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks near Bedford, just an hour outside of London.

Not only has the deal been closed, but there’s also concept art of what the new theme park will look like. This will be Universal’s only theme park in Europe, with multiple parks elsewhere in the world, including in the US, Japan and Singapore.

The new resort is set to open in 2031, which is only six years away, although it’s probably safe to assume there may be some delays along the way—there usually are with this kind of thing. Outside of that, not much is known about what will be in the park, although a hotel has been promised alongside retail and entertainment complexes.

Considering other Universal parks feature everything from Harry Potter to Nintendo, it will be interesting to see what’s highlighted here. However, given the UK setting, Harry Potter is all but guaranteed to be a prominent part of the theme park.

If you’re near the Bedford area, chances are you’ll likely find yourself working on the project at some point, too. The Prime Minister suggests that 28,000 jobs will be created during construction and 8,000 jobs will be created once the gates open to keep the park functioning. The 476-acre project is set to be big, with Universal estimating 8.5 million visitors just in the first year – that’s a lot of Butterbeer.

Universal’s library of films has plenty of franchises to dive into, from Kung Fu Panda, to How to Train Your Dragon and even Jurassic Park – although let’s hope they’re not bringing dinosaurs back to life just an hour from London. The park has the potential to be an exciting addition to the UK’s theme park industry, and its development will certainly be a story to watch between now and when it opens. Construction is set to begin in 2026, meaning the project should take five years. Fingers crossed for a Super Nintendo Land on our doorsteps, eh?

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