New UK theme park to be as big as Disneyland Paris | UK | News
A massive Universal Studios theme park is due to open in the UK by 2031, with the facility near Bedford expected to be as big as Disneyland Paris. The UK resort is expected to attract around 8.5 million visitors a year when it opens, and forecasts suggest this number could rise to 12 million annually by 2051.
If these targets are achieved, it could become the most visited theme park in Europe, surpassing Disneyland Paris, which attracted 10.2 million visitors last year.
The park will be built at Kempston Hardwick and will create Universal’s first theme park in Britain, joining existing resorts in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, Singapore and Beijing.
Universal is one of the world’s largest entertainment companies, behind blockbuster franchises such as Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Minions, Fast & Furious and The Simpsons.
In terms of size, the scale is quite wide. The entire resort will cover an area of 662 acres, and the theme park itself will span 238 acres. By comparison, Disneyland Paris is estimated to cover just under 130 acres.
Although full ride details have yet to be confirmed, visitors can expect attractions similar to those at other Universal parks around the world.
These often include high-speed rollercoasters, immersive indoor dark rides, large-scale simulators, and story-driven attractions that place guests inside famous movie scenes. Universal also suggested that the UK park could have some of the tallest rides in Europe.
The project is expected to create a major economic impact. Developers say it will deliver economic benefits of around £50bn and create around 28,000 jobs. Upon opening, the site is expected to be one of the largest employers in the region, with around 80% of staff coming from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.
The company said this project would also bring long-awaited transport improvements including an expanded Wixams railway station, new direct slip roads from the A421 and other local road improvements.
Universal has described the project as “transformative” for both Bedford and the UK economy, signaling a huge boost to tourism, infrastructure and employment when the park opens later this decade.
Disneyland Paris attracted 10.2 million visitors last year, making it Europe’s most popular theme park, according to industry estimates cited by Forbes. Universal believes its UK resort has the potential to surpass that figure over time.
The use of a Special Development Order allowed the government to approve the project directly rather than through traditional local authority planning routes.
Universal argued that this approach would deliver national economic benefits while accelerating the delivery of large-scale development.
With planning permission now in place, work is expected to progress on detailed designs and infrastructure, a significant step towards the arrival of one of the largest theme parks Europe has ever seen.
