Universal theme park is coming to UK – here’s what it will look like
The UK's first Universal Studios theme park[1] is due to open in Bedfordshire in 2031. The attraction, set to be the biggest of its kind in Europe, will create 28,000 jobs between construction and operation, the Government said. The park, which will be known as the Universal United Kingdom Resort, was first announced in April last year.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has called the investment a "huge vote of confidence" in Britain.
What to expect from Universal United Kingdom Resort?
The resort will be built on a site spanning nearly 500 acres and is expected to showcase Universal's immersive entertainment experiences, primarily through a theme park.
Shorts
Scroll to previous short Scroll to next short
WEATHER
Is the UK set for another hot summer?
Caption: People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset.Monday is set to be the hottest bank Holiday on record, reaching "historic" temperatures of 34C in Greater London and south-east England. Picture date: Monday May 25, 2026. PA Photo.
Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA WirePhotographer: Andrew MatthewsProvider: Andrew Matthews/PA WireSource: PA
The UK may see a warmer-than-average summer with the potential for more heatwaves, according to the Met Office as it revealed its long-range forecasts into the summer.
What do the forecasts say?
Caption: Sunbathers play in the sea and relax in the sunshine on Bournemouth beach on the south coast of England on May 26, 2026, as heatwave conditions spread to parts of southeast England and London.Britain registered on Tuesday its hottest-ever May temperature on record, with the mercury rising to 35C near the capital. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JUSTIN TALLISProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
The Met Office suggests "an increased chance of heatwaves and heat-related impacts" for the summer.
It comes after a late spring heatwave saw record-breaking temperatures across the UK.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 26: Women relax on deckchairs in St James's Park on May 26, 2026 in London, England.The UK has recoded the hottest May temperature on record with a blistering 34.8??C registered at Kew Gardens. Overnight temperatures also reached a record-breaking 21.3??C, marking the country's first-ever spring "tropical night." This extreme heatwave has triggered Amber Heat-Health Alerts across central and southern England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)Photographer: Carl CourtProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images Europe
Caption: FLAMBOROUGH, ENGLAND - MAY 26: Beachgoers enjoy the hot weather at Flamborough's North Landing beach on May 26, 2026 in Flamborough, England. The UK has recoded the hottest May temperature on record with a blistering 34.8??C registered at Kew Gardens. Overnight temperatures also reached a record-breaking 21.3??C, marking the country's first-ever spring "tropical night." This extreme heatwave has triggered Amber Heat-Health Alerts across central and southern England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)Photographer: Dan KitwoodProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images EuropeCopyright: 2026 Getty Images
MeteoGroup - providers of BBC Weather data - said "above-average temperatures" are expected in June, July and August.
Is a drought expected?
MeteoGroup expects a drier period, although the Met Office suggests an average or potentially even wetter-than-normal season, the BBC reported.
NEWS
3 min read
NEWS
3 min read
Record-breaking May
A new May record of 35.1?C was set in May in Kew Gardens, beating the record of 32.8?C in 1944.
Yellow and amber heat health alerts were also issued for the first time this year.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 26: Tourists pass over Westminster Bridge on May 26, 2026 in London, England.The UK has recoded the hottest May temperature on record with a blistering 34.8??C registered at Kew Gardens. Overnight temperatures also reached a record-breaking 21.3??C, marking the country's first-ever spring "tropical night." This extreme heatwave has triggered Amber Heat-Health Alerts across central and southern England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)Photographer: Carl CourtProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images Europe
Caption: BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Bournemouth Beach on May 25, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. An exceptional bank holiday heatwave is currently bringing record-breaking weather to England with temperatures forecast to climb into the low 30s by Monday. The intense high pressure has prompted the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue rare, amber heat alerts across multiple regions due to the health risks for vulnerable people and extreme UV levels. (Photo by Simon Ackerman/Getty Images)Photographer: Simon AckermanProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images EuropeCopyright: 2026 Simon Ackerman
(Photo: Getty/Kaspi Creative Inc).
HEALTH
Why you need to do more strength training
Clare Wilson
Science Writer
Forget lifting heavy - lifting for longer may be the secret to staying healthy. People should aim to clock up at least 90 minutes of strength training a week, a study has found.
How much strength training do you need?
Current UK guidelines say people should aim to do strength training at least two days a week. How long that should last is unspecified, but experts suggest some people may interpret that as about 60 minutes.
Young Asian women use dumbbells for strength training in the gym. - stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Kettlebell strength training at cross-training gym - stock photo. (Photo: Getty)And surveys have found only a quarter of people in the UK are doing any strength training at all twice weekly. By contrast, the advice on aerobic exercise - the kind that gets your heart racing, like running - says it should be done for at least 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity.
What are the benefits?
Dr Yiwen Zhang, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, looked at results from three large US studies that tracked the habits of nearly 150,000 people for up to 30 years, publishing the results in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The lowest death rate was in people who did between 90 and 120 minutes of strength training per week.
Analysis
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
WORLD
What you need to know as Ukraine hits St Petersburg oil port
Caption: A plume of black smoke is seen over the port of St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, after a Ukrainian drone attack. (AP Photo)Provider: AP Photo/undefinedSource: APUkraine staged a large attack on a St Petersburg oil port on Wednesday, ahead of a major economic forum hosted by Vladimir Putin in the city.
What happened?
The oil terminal on the Gulf of Finland is one of Russia's largest fuel storage and export facilities.
The attack happened hours before the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum - Russia's Davos - which involves high-profile foreign guests from 76 countries, including the US.
Big Read
6 min read
Explained
4 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
[embedded content]
Flagship forum under threat
The Ukrainian plan of long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as it is needed to bring peace closer. Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Ukrainian drones had hit several locations in Russia, including a nearby naval base in Kronstadt.
Caption: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JUNE 03: Black smoke rises after Ukraine reportedly launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks on the opening day of the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of Russia's most prominent organizations, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 03, 2026. (Photo by Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images)Photographer: AnadoluProvider: Anadolu via Getty ImagesSource: Anadolu
Kronstadt is the main outpost of the Russian Navy's Baltic fleet, with unverified videos showing drones targeting docked ships.
The latest on Russia-Ukraine war
Caption: Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Photographer: Vyacheslav ProkofyevProvider: Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool SputniSource: Pool Sputnik KremlinCopyright: SputnikRussian losses
This comes as the UK's largest spy agency claimed almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during the conflict.
Continued attacks
Russia and Ukraine have also exchanged a series of drone and missile strikes as peace talks continue to fail.
Caption: A resident stands at a site of a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPhotographer: StringerProvider: REUTERSSource: REUTERS
Caption: In this handout photo provided by the French Army, a French army NH90 helicopter flies over the oil tanker Tagor, which is under international sanctions and was traveling from Russia in the Atlantic Sea, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (French Army via AP)Provider: French Army via APSource: French ArmyCopyright: ?tat-major des arm?esOil tanker seized
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed a shadow fleet tanker had been seized with UK support.
uk NEWS
Military helicopter crashes in Devon
Caption: The crash scene of the Royal Navy helicopter in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon, June 3, 2026. // A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in an "ongoing" investigation. The helicopter, which the Ministry of Defence confirmed belonged to the Royal Navy, crashed just before 4am this morning in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon.Emergency services are still at the scene - which a local reporter described as "devastating". Photos from the scene of the smash show the wreckage of the downed chopper lying in a field. It remains unclear if anyone was injured when the navy helicopter crashed.
Military helicopters often train in the area around north Dartmoor - as the area lies between the Royal Navy's air bases at Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall.Photo released 03/06/2026
Photo released 03/06/2026 Photographer: Tom Wren / SWNSProvider: Tom Wren / SWNSSource: Tom Wren / SWNS Three people have died after a Royal Navy helicopter crashed into a field near an A-road in Devon, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed (MoD).
Investigation ongoing
The accident occured at 4am on Wednesday near Sourton Down, close to Okehampton.
- The MoD confirmed three serviceman died during the exercise.
- The A386 was closed between A30 at Sourton Down and the A3079 Fowley Cross in Okehampton.
- The cause of the crash is unknown and an investigation remains ongoing.
- The site is around 27 miles north of HMNB Devonport, in Plymouth.
- Defence Secretary John Healey said he was "devastated by the loss of three service personnel".
PM pays tribute to families after helicopter crash
My thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of the three members of the Royal Navy who sadly lost their lives this morning."
Prime minister, sir keir starmer
Caption: Mountain Rescue team near to crash scene of the Royal Navy helicopter in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon, June 3, 2026. // A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in an "ongoing" investigation.The helicopter, which the Ministry of Defence confirmed belonged to the Royal Navy, crashed just before 4am this morning in Sourton Down, off the A30 near Okehampton in Devon. Emergency services are still at the scene - which a local reporter described as "devastating". Photos from the scene of the smash show the wreckage of the downed chopper lying in a field.
It remains unclear if anyone was injured when the navy helicopter crashed. Military helicopters often train in the area around north Dartmoor - as the area lies between the Royal Navy's air bases at Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall.
Photo released 03/06/2026 Photographer: Tom Wren / SWNSProvider: Tom Wren / SWNSSource: Tom Wren / SWNS
WORLD
US launches new strikes on Iran
The US military said it launched "self-defence" strikes on Iran overnight while shooting down ballistic missiles and drones targeting ships and surrounding Gulf countries.
What happened?
The US strikes targeted Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command (Centcom) said.
Centcom said Iran fired two missiles at Kuwait and three at Bahrain, all of which broke apart or were intercepted. Iran said it had retaliated by attacking US bases and helicopters in a "regional country" using missiles and drones.
Analysis
5 min read
NEWS
5 min read
The latest on ceasefire talks
Donald Trump has suggested he will abide by a court ruling that halted his 'slush fund' (Photo: Al Drago/Getty)Ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran stalled over the weekend but Donald Trump this week told his critics to "sit back and relax".
Trump has since said that Iran has agreed to not have a nuclear weapon.
WORLD
5 min read
MEDIA
Why the BBC wants TV to go online-only
Adam Sherwin
Arts and Media Correspondent The shift to online TV viewing is accelerating, with the number of UK homes without broadband predicted to fall to just 220,000 by 2034.
What the BBC wants
The BBC wants ministers to set a date to switch-off digital TV signals which are being used by fewer viewers in the streaming era (Getty)New figures reveal a faster-than-expected take-up of internet-only TV, strengthening the case for switching off Freeview broadcasts during the next decade.
UK broadcasters are asking the Government to set a date to switch off Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signals, or Freeview, by the mid-2030s.
Interview
7 min read
What the figures show
The latest figures from independent analysts, 3 Reasons, shows the number of UK homes without broadband fell by 30 per cent between 2023 and 2025, and is now 1.2 million.
- The fall in broadband-free homes outpaced the 10 per cent previously predicted for the time period.
- Such an updated forecast will be used as further evidence by the BBC and other broadcasters that switch-off is achievable within a decade.
- They would save millions of pounds in channel distribution costs by ending DTT transmissions.
- Pushing switch-off as a policy objective carries a risk after The i Paper revealed nearly 48 per cent of people would oppose paying the GBP180 licence fee if its content were online-only.
What could go wrong?
Campaigners warn a switch-off would force the elderly, disabled people and those on low incomes to take on expensive high-speed broadband contracts just to watch TV, which is currently free-to-air.
MEDIA
4 min read
Big Read
5 min read
POLICING
Violent protests erupt over Henry Nowak's death
Caption: Undated handout file photo originally issued on 07/12/25 by Hampshire Police of Henry Nowak. Sikh man Vickrum Digwa has been jailed at Southampton Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Digwa stabbed Henry to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025.Issue date: Monday June 01, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Hampshire Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption.
Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.Photographer: Hampshire PoliceProvider: Hampshire Police/PA WireSource: pa Two people have been arrested after protesters clashed with police near the site where 18-year-old student Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed.
Why are people protesting?
The clashes with police follow scrutiny over how officers dealt with the stabbing, which included handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying last December. Bodycam footage showed him telling police "I've been stabbed" and an officer replied "I don't think you have mate".
Nowak was arrested after Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed he had racially abused him. Digwa was jailed for life.
LIVE
1 min read
NEWS
4 min read
Arrests made after protest
Police and crime minister, Sarah Jones, confirmed two people had been detained following the clashes. Eleven officers were also injured on Tuesday night.
Caption: TOPSHOT - Protestors demonstrate with police officers near Portswood Police Station in Southampton, southern England, on June 2, 2026, during a protest held in reaction to the Police's handling of the detention of victim Henry Nowak, following the conviction of his murderer Vickrum Digwa. Body camera footage of dying student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by British police after being stabbed by Sikh man Vickrum Digwa, and falsely accused of racially abusing his murderer sparked outrage Tuesday. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JUSTIN TALLISProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: Screen grab taken from PA Video of police and protestors clashing in Southampton during a protest following the death of Henry Nowak. Vickrum Digwa was jailed at Southampton Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Digwa stabbed Henry to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025.Picture date: Tuesday June 2, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jamie Lashmar/PA WirePhotographer: Jamie LashmarProvider: Jamie Lashmar/PA WireSource: PA
How the far right is weaponising the protests
Police are monitoring the British far right over concerns that the protests will spark rioting. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been accused of "whipping up" anger and division after he said that the murder "must be a turning point" because "white lives matter too". Several far-right groups and figures have used the case to repeat the allegations, denied by police leaders, that "two-tier policing" discriminates in favour of ethnic minorities, and claim a "white genocide" is taking place.
Exclusive
4 min read
What Lebanon's Beaufort Castle is - and why Israel captured it
Israel announced the seizure of the medieval fortress yesterday, in the latest sign of its continued ceasefire breaches in the country.
Caption: An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani Brigade fly on Beaufort Castle, as seen from Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, June 1, 2026. REUTERS/StringerPhotographer: StringerProvider: REUTERSSource: REUTERSDefence minister announces capture
Caption: Members of Israeli troops at the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle in Nabatieh Governorate, southern Lebanon, in this screengrab from a handout video released on May 31, 2026. Israeli troops seized the Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, the military said, despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago.Israeli Military/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. OVERLAY FROM SOURCE.Photographer: ISRAELI MILITARYProvider: via REUTERSSource: Handout
- Israel Katz said the Israeli flag was flying over the castle yesterday.
- The fort in southern Lebanon represents a strategic gain.
- Israeli Defence Forces have carried out strikes in the surrounding area.
WORLD
4 min read
What is Beaufort Castle?
Known as Qalaat al-Shaqif in Arabic, the castle was built by French crusaders in the 12th century. It is near Nabatieh and its position is 700m (2,300ft) above sea level and affords whoever controls it a view over southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Caption: Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on May 31, 2026.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on May 31, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JALAA MAREYProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: TOPSHOT - This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel shows an Israeli tank taking position amid destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on May 31, 2026. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on May 31, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JALAA MAREYProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors
It has changed hands several times over the centuries, with Palestinian fighters using it as a base before Israel captured it in 1982.
Israel then occupied it until withdrawing from southern Lebanon in 2000.
What is Israel doing in Lebanon?
Despite agreeing to a ceasefire on 16 April, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon with the aim of destroying the armed group Hezbollah, which mainly operates in the south of the country. Beirut has been struck on two occasions and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered further strikes on the capital today.
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a memorial service held for Ran Gvili, an off-duty police officer who was killed fighting militants that had infiltrated Israel during the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, and the last hostage recovered from Gaza, in Meitar, Israel, January 28, 2026.REUTERS/Amir Cohen TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File PhotoPhotographer: Amir CohenProvider: REUTERSSource: REUTERS
OPINION
4 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
@theipaperFlames engulfed a warehouse in Khan Younis after it was hit by an Israeli strike on Thursday night, as civil defence workers struggled to put out the fire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had directed Israel's military to take more of Gaza, initially by seizing 70% of the Palestinian territory, where the population is already penned into a tiny strip of land along the coast. Israel effectively controls an estimated 64% of the tiny coastal Strip, bombarded to ruins by Israel's two-year military assault that followed the 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
? original sound - The i Paper - The i Paper[2][3]The resort will also feature hotels and other accommodation, dining, shopping and entertainment areas.
Some areas will be available to visit without a ticket, but access to the main park will be restricted to ticketholders. Universal has not yet confirmed which specific rides, lands or shows will feature in their newest theme park. It said it will "still be some time" before it can share details of the particular attractions the park will feature.
Early signs of construction can be seen at the site set to be home to Universal's UK theme park resort (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty)Planning documentation[4] revealed the firm said it could build structures in the park reaching up to 377ft (115m), which means it could be home to the tallest rides in Europe.
By comparison, the UK's current tallest ride, Thorpe Park's Hyperia, stands at 72m.
What impact will the theme park have on the UK economy?
The theme park deal represents one of the largest ever investments in the UK tourism sector, boosting the economy by nearly GBP50bn, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said. Comcast NBCUniversal, the firm behind the park, has committed to invest over GBP5bn in the entertainment resort complex during the construction period, expected to take five years, as well as an additional GBP1bn in capital investment over the first 10 years of operation.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has previously visited the Bedford site (Photo: Chris Radburn/AP)It said approximately 80 per cent of employees are expected to come from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. The Government will support the project with an investment of GBP1.3bn on regional and local community infrastructure to ensure the park can operate successfully, with improved transport links for local residents and visitors.
As part of the wider development linked to the theme park resort, transportation infrastructure will be upgraded, including an expansion of Wixams railway station and direct slip roads from the A421.
How have locals responded to the planned build?
Some residents have raised concerns about potential congestion on the local road network, and on specific key routes including the M1, A421 and B530, as a result of visitor numbers once the development is operational. The theme park resort is predicted to attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year alone. Questions have also been raised about light and noise pollution, and how the theme park complex will impact demand for housing.
Local health officials have expressed concern that there could be knock-on effects on emergency response times due to impacts on the transport network. Last week, a local councillor claimed one Bedfordshire village is at risk of becoming a "park-and-ride" site for visitors to the Universal resort, because of East West Rail's plans to serve the attraction. Conservative Cranfield and Marston Moretaine councillor Sue Clark said: "It feels like the village is in danger of becoming collateral damage for East West Rail and Universal Studios."
What has the Government said about the development?
At a local level, Bedford Borough Council has said the "once-in-a-generation" investment will put the area "firmly on the entertainment map".
Marc Frost, a Conservative councillor for Wixams and Wilstead ward, referred to the resort as a "fabulous opportunity for Bedford and the UK".
Last year, the Prime Minister said the attraction would "put Bedford on the map for millions of people - film lovers, people coming here for fun, people building their careers here".
Chancellor Rachel Reeves[5] previously said the deal with Universal was "a real sign of confidence in the local economy and in the national economy".
References
- ^ first Universal Studios theme park (inews.co.uk)
- ^ @theipaper (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ ? original sound - The i Paper - The i Paper (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ Planning documentation (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Chancellor Rachel Reeves (inews.co.uk)