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Agence France-Presse

Universal will build its first European theme park in Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, unveiling a deal which could create thousands of jobs and attract millions of tourists.
“Today we closed the deal on a multibillion-pound investment that will see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe,” Starmer said, referring to the English market town north of London.
No precise figures were given for the accord, which was struck with US communications giant Comcast, which owns Universal, after years of discussions with UK leaders.
There are currently five Universal theme parks around the globe. The first was opened in 1964 in Hollywood, California, based around the original film studios, followed later by a park in Orlando, Florida. Three others are in Asia: in Beijing, China; Osaka, Japan; and Singapore.

Rides and shows could be based around film characters including Shrek, the Minions, Jurassic Park dinosaurs and Harry Potter.
The new park could create some 28,000 jobs, including 20,000 during construction, and represent a £50 billion (US$64 billion) boost to the UK economy by 2055, Starmer’s office said.
Some 80 per cent of the employees would come from the local area, the statement added.
An estimated 8.5 million people are expected to visit in its first year, planned for 2031, making it the largest attraction in Britain.

“We could not be more excited to take this very important step in our plan to create and deliver an incredible Universal theme park and resort in the heart of the United Kingdom,” said Comcast president Mike Cavanagh.
In 2023 Comcast bought the 200-hectare (490-acre) site of a former brickworks south of Bedford, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of London.
Universal has said it will work with local colleges and universities to train the next generation of hospitality workers, with apprenticeships and internships.
From Wicked to Minions, Universal is behind some of the biggest blockbusters of recent years
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sports
The area is about an hour by train from St Pancras station in London, also terminus for Eurostar trains that run to and from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
Among the plans for the new park are a 500-room hotel, rides, shows and a large dining complex. The proposals will be subject to a planning decision.
Universal has not yet revealed details of the rides, but media reports have already indicated a possible attraction themed around Paddington Bear, which is now a major film franchise.
The whole attraction would be intended to rival Disneyland Paris, which drew in some 10.4 million visitors in 2023.

“From Wicked to Minions, Universal is behind some of the biggest blockbusters of recent years,” said Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sports Lisa Nandy.
She added the “landmark investment is fantastic news for our economy, for UK tourism and for the British public, who will be able to enjoy the biggest and best theme park in Europe on their doorstep”.
News of the deal comes just a few days after the government signed off on the expansion of nearby Luton Airport, which serves destinations across Europe.


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Europe’s first Universal theme park to be built in UK. Harry Potter fans can rejoice

A roller coaster in the Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing, China. Photo: Xinhua



UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that a Universal theme park would be built in the UK, creating thousands of jobs and bringing in billions of dollars in revenue. Photo: TNS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the deal with Comcast, owners of Universal, to build the theme park. Photo: Reuters/Pool

The opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, in Universal City, California, in 2016. A Harry Potter attraction is seen as a possibility for the Universal theme park in the UK. Photo: AFP 

Visitors enjoy a roller-coaster ride at the Universal Studios Beijing theme park, one of five around the world. Photo: Xinhua

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Sebastien Bazin, CEO of the French hospitality group Accor, says European travellers are deciding to visit places such as Canada, South America and Egypt this summer instead of the US. Photo: AFP

Detentions of European tourists by US border agents has created “bad buzz” about travel to the country in Europe, according to the Accor hotels group’s chief executive Photo: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

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UK fans of Harry Potter, Shrek and the Minions are in for a treat. Universal’s first European theme park will be built north of London


UK fans of Harry Potter, Shrek and the Minions are in for a treat. Universal’s first European theme park will be built north of London.


Britain