Excitement is buzzing for Universal Studios first European theme park – just 40 minute from London
The new Universal Studios theme park coming to Bedford will attract more visitors than any of London’s top ten attractions, according to a report presented by the local authority.
At a special meeting of Bedford Borough Council this month, members were presented with a progress report exploring all aspects of the upcoming theme park in Kempton, Bedfordshire, which is officially scheduled to open in May 2031 and includes a 500-room hotel, retail, dining and nightlife options.
The report stated the theme park is anticipated to attract around 8 million people to the site in its first year, rising to 12 million per year after 20 years. This would outperform the UK’s ten most visited attractions in 2025 – which were all based in London – such as the Natural History Museum (7.1 million), the British Museum (6.4 million) and Windsor Great Park (5 million).
The development will also support 20,000 jobs during construction and create 8,000 new roles once the theme park is up and running.
The project was granted planning permission by the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government via a special development order (SDO) in December last year. It was aided by the government’s approval of the expansion of nearby Luton Airport around eight months previously.
The report’s author, Patrick Lyons, manager for strategic sites and inward investment, said: “Just to remind everyone where we’re talking about, 460 acres just to the south of Bedford by the A421 at Kempston Hardwick, on land that was formerly owned by London Brick [a manufacturer of bricks and other building materials].
“[It] was acquired by Universal Studios a number of years ago, and they obtained planning permission at the end of last year.”
The report unveiled some headline figures about the scheme, which will yield an estimated £50bn contribution to the UK economy, as well as offer a “major boost to local and UK tourism” and “bolster the UK’s creative industries” by delivering the first Universal theme park in Europe.
Regional transport will also be enhanced as the site aims to focus on its high speed rail links to London in just 39 minutes, with the construction of a new four-platform train station in nearby Wixams from 2027 to 2030, plus expansion of the small Kempston Hardwick train station. New direct slip roads will be constructed along the A421, as well as local road improvements.
Mr Lyons added: “We’re dealing with one of the largest companies in the world with this project, a company with a lot of know-how and a lot of capacity and capability to play a very positive and active role in the local community.
“They’ve given evidence and they’ve proven themselves in terms of where they’ve opened these resorts in other parts of the world.”
Bedford Borough Council plans to “draw on the pull of the Universal investment” to increase overall local spend and “explore options how to incentivize additional private sector investment” in the area.
First steps in the project include removal of the deep-clay pits from the old brickworks on the site and installing a modern drainage system, as well as installing green infrastructure ahead of construction of the core zone of the theme park.
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