Universal Studios United Kingdom: Everything We Know So Far

Universal Studios United Kingdom is coming!

Here you’ll find everything we know about the park so far, including a suspected opening date, when construction is scheduled to begin, and what attractions we might be expecting to see.

When Is Universal Studios United Kingdom’s Opening Date?

According to the official press release, Universal’s parent company, Universal Studios United Kingdom is scheduled to open in 2031 at the earliest.

That may not seem like a long time away, but it’s worth remembering that Universal managed to construct Epic Universe in around five years from start to finish.

You can read more about the park’s opening date in our dedicated article.

When Is Universal Studios United Kingdom’s Construction Due To Start?

Construction is slated to start on Universal Studios United Kingdom as early as 2026 – next year – if a certain provision is met.

That is, if the application for planning permission goes smoothly according to a letter sent to local residents from Comcast. Universal has pledged to keep updating their own website dedicated to the project while developments continue.

The request for planning permission under a Special Development Order has been submitted, so it’s a matter of time and regulatory processes before things get approved. The plans are under public consultation until August 31, and according to the timeline provided in the documentation, the actual construction of the resort may start in Q4 2027.

In a previous interview with the BBC, Page Thompson, Universal Destinations and Experiences’ President of New Ventures has reiterated that Universal would submit documents in the next couple of months to hopefully gain planning permission by the end of the year.

What Attractions Are Expected To Be At Universal Studios United Kingdom?

This is the unknown at the moment, although looking for consistency across other Universal parks may provide some idea.

The most recent park in Universal’s portfolio – Beijing – opened in 2021, and features attractions based around Harry Potter, Kung Fu Panda, Minions and Jurassic Park. It also features the Waterworld attraction at the back of the park.

These IPs are also featured in different parks in both Orlando and Japan, with the latter location in Osaka also playing host to specific Japanese options.

That’s particularly important, given it may suggest that Universal Studios United Kingdom could feature UK-centric attractions and IPs for them to be based around. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had mooted the likes of James Bond, or Sherlock Holmes, while Universal itself stressed the importance of local ties in market research material.

A recent report from the BBC claimed that an insider close to the park project, that the likes of Jurassic Park, Minions, James Bond, Lord of the Rings, Paddington and Back To The Future could be coming to the park. They also stated that It was mooted that the James Bond attraction might take a similar form to the indoor Bourne Stuntacular show found in Orlando.

Harry Potter is a notable omission, as per the BBC report, given that Warner Bros. reportedly has a ‘water-tight exclusivity’ contract for tourist attractions in the UK, as much as Universal has the rights elsewhere in the world.

Meanwhile, a recent trademark filing for Back To The Future has been found in the UK Government’s Intellectual Property Office. The trademark was filed in December 2024 and registered on March 21, and applies to use for ‘Amusement park attraction and theme park services’, as well as for merchandising according to its Class 25, 26 and 41 classifications. This further backs up the idea of BTTF coming to Universal Studios United Kingdom.

Tommy Hawkins on X has also managed to create a top-down park map of Universal Studios United Kingdom by reverse-engineering the land’s ‘master plan’ map from 2024, and has pointed out four possible areas of expansion for the park, including an area that matches up to the size of the Mariokart atttraction show building.

In addition, he has suggested that the green roller coaster may be themed to Jurassic World, as opposed to the previously suggested Wicked. The coaster itself may be a Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper Coaster, with the layout looking eerily similar to the ‘Hollywood Dream’ coaster at Universal Studios Japan.

A recent interview by DigitalDan with Chris Curtis, the Labour MP for Milton Keynes North, yielded the information that Universal is looking to reinvest 40 percent of the park’s profits back into new attractions, while there are allegedly plans for a new attraction every two years.

We’ve already noted that the park looks to have a lot of room to expand, thanks to Tommy Hawkins’ top-down render showing over 50 acres of spare space in and around the corners of the concept art with its green spaces, so this idea of new expansions coming thick and fast after park-open seems quite logical.

Hawkins, in a different post on X, has also theorised that one particular show building could relate to a Lord of The Rings dark ride, specifically relating to the ‘great river journey’, although this is purely his own thoughts on the matter. It seems to be a thought that a few other people on Facebook have had, given the discussions of one particular show building looking as if it could be perfect for Lord of The Rings theming.

More information will be coming as we get it.