Universal Studios Great Britain: Massive New Theme Park Approved!

Following the grand opening of Universal Epic Universe in Orlando on May 22, 2025, and Universal Kids Resort opening next year in Frisco, Texas, will be the first Universal-branded theme park and resort in Europe, specifically in the United Kingdom, which is expected to open in 2031.

In December 2025, The UK’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) approved Universal’s request for planning permission, which according to Page Thompson President of New Ventures for Universal Destinations & Experience, “represents another important milestone for the project.”

What Can We Expect at Universal in Great Britain?

Concept art shows several large coasters plus a water amphitheater that could potentially hold a Waterworld-style stunt show. We also see what could be a Minion land with a similar layout to the one in Universal Beijing and what could potentially be a Back to the Future-themed area. There’s also a large area at the back of the park that is almost surely a Jurassic World land. And instead of the hub-and-spoke layout of Epic Universe, this park has a large central lagoon like Islands of Adventure and many of Universal’s overseas parks.

Universal has expand it’s already large global portfolio in a relatively short period of time, with Epic Universe opening in May 2025, Universal Horror Unleashed opening in Las Vegas in August 2025, Universal Kids Resort opening in Texas in 2026, and now, the new UK park now set to begin construction in 2026.

“Bringing a world-class theme park and resort to the United Kingdom is a tremendous opportunity and is part of our strategy to introduce the Universal brand and experiences to new audiences around the globe,” said Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences. “We appreciate the incredible support for our proposed project and look forward to bringing it to life in the years ahead.”

Here’s everything we know (so far) about Universal Great Britain…

What We Know About Universal Great Britain

In 2023, Universal confirmed the purchase of approximately 480 acres south of Bedford (about 60 miles from London) for a potential new park and resort in the UK.

Plans for the four-zone park include a 500-room hotel, a new train station and two transport hubs, plus a CityWalk-style dining area that people can visit without a park ticket.

Although Universal has not shared any details about what attractions and experiences Universal Great Britain might include, the massive record-breaking box office success of Wicked and Wicked: For Good), makes Oz a viable possibility.

And it seems Mark Woodbury agrees…

“When I saw [Wicked], my first reaction was, ‘This is a theme park waiting to happen,'” Woodbury told the New York Times.

Just as Disney did for DisneylandForward, Universal consulted with local government agencies and nearby communities throughout the planning process to ensure all concerns were addressed.

The leaders and chief executives of six local authorities endorsed Universal Destinations & Experiences’ potential theme park and resort project and sent a letter to the Prime Minister to emphasize the benefits, including the creation of 20,000 jobs during construction and an additional 20,000 jobs for the resort’s operation, and in April 2025, the Prime Minister “closed the deal” on the new Universal park.

“Bringing Universal Studios to Bedford is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the UK,” said Parliament Member Chris Curtis, said. “After decades of stalled attempts to establish a world-class theme park in Britain, I will keep campaigning to make this project a reality.”

The new Universal Great Britain theme park is expected open in 2031 – for comparison, Epic Universe (also 480 acres) was announced in 2019 and opened in 2025 (keeping in mind that construction was paused during the pandemic). 

Universal Great Britain in Harry Potter’s Home Town

The new Universal theme park will be located only about 40 miles from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, the already-popular wizarding world-themed attraction at the UK studios where all eight Harry Potter films were produced.

We know how successful the Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands have been for Universal theme parks, so that may seem like an obvious choice for a UK-based park, but according to reporting by the BBC, Warner Bros. has exclusive rights to Wizarding World-based attractions in the UK, so unless a deal can be made, Harry and pals will not be moving in.

While Universal hasn’t officially announced which franchises will be represented (and the park map offers few concrete details), the BBC reported that James Bond, Paddington Bear, and Lord of the Rings will be among the characters and stories in the new park. Of course, the BBC also notes that “some plans could change.”

Also according to BBC sources, lands and attractions may be themed to Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and/or World, and the Minions. As for Bond? The BBC says 007 will be featured in a stunt show similar to the Bourne Stuntactular at Universal Studios Florida, though the water-filled outdoor amphitheater in the concept art suggests otherwise (unless that’s for a different show).

As with any new theme park, time will tell.

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Let’s Hear From You!

What do you think about a new Universal park in the UK? Do you want to see more Wizarding World? Is the Wonderful World of Oz from Wicked the perfect theme park land? What else would you like to see in a new Universal Great Britain theme park? Let us know in the comments below.