Common Locations & Experiences has formally introduced plans to construct and function the corporate’s first-ever theme park & resort in the UK, situated in Bedford. The venture, informally unknown as Common Studios Nice Britain amongst followers, has been revealed by way of new idea artwork and particulars from by way of the UK authorities.
For its half, Common Locations & Experiences has introduced its intent to proceed with the Bedford theme park venture following greater than a yr of feasibility, due diligence, and shut engagement with native and nationwide stakeholders, in addition to members of the native surrounding communities. Common Studios Nice Britain was first rumored again in December 2023, when web sleuthing confirmed that Common had bought a big parcel within the UK and was exploring plans for a theme park.
Common experiences that in its interval of public engagement whereas exploring the brand new park idea, the corporate shared its proposal with native communities. Throughout that public engagement, the corporate met with virtually 1,500 folks and engaged with practically 100 native organisations to listen to concepts and suggestions. Common acquired over 6,000 responses to our engagement survey, with 92% of individuals surveyed expressing their assist for Common Studios Nice Britain.
Quick-forward over a yr, and Common has now introduced that the “exploration” is full and the park is transferring ahead! The proposed plans for Common Studios Nice Britain embrace an leisure resort complicated with a world-class theme park with a number of themed lands that includes Common’s distinct model of immersive storytelling, thrilling rides, revolutionary sights and thrilling leisure.
Along with the Common Studios Nice Britain theme park, preliminary plans for the resort complicated additionally characteristic a 500-room lodge and a retail, eating and leisure complicated. It will likely be the primary Common-branded theme park within the UK and Europe. At the moment, a planning proposal has been submitted to the UK authorities with a projected building begin date in 2026, topic to the related planning approvals. Common Studios Nice Britain is projected to open in 2031.
This improvement can have a transformative affect on Bedford and the UK financial system. Common Studios Nice Britain will likely be a serious contributor to the inventive arts and tourism industries, producing practically £50 billion of financial profit for the UK and creating hundreds of latest, high-quality jobs.
Common Studios Nice Britain will likely be one of many largest employers within the area as soon as it opens, with roughly 80% of workers anticipated to return from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes. Many extra communities will likewise profit from apprenticeships, coaching and academic alternatives.
Right here’s the conceptual artists’ rendering and site of land space and proposed park:
In its announcement, Common acknowledges the great pleasure its theme parks deliver. Nonetheless, it’s too early within the course of to announce any of the sights or experiences. Extra particulars about Common Studios Nice Britain will likely be revealed over time, and are topic to the required planning consent approvals.
That is to be anticipated with any new theme park. Again when Epic Universe was first introduced in 2019, it was by way of an identical piece of high-level aerial idea artwork. The precise lands weren’t introduced till a number of years later, with the curtain pulled again on particular person sights and experiences even later than that. Granted, there was the entire “COVID” factor that possible threw a monkey wrench into issues and launched uncertainty.
However, the web did its factor and inside hours of the primary Epic Universe idea artwork being launched, there have been credible experiences of the lands and even particular sights. These had been just about on the cash with what was constructed and is about to open over 5 years later.
It’s an identical story with Common Children Resort in Texas, though the accuracy charge seems to be a bit decrease on that one. Level being: we may have a reasonably good concept of what’s deliberate for Common Studios Nice Britain by way of the rumor mill a lot, a lot before Common’s subsequent reveal and the federal government planning course of permits.
With that in thoughts, right here’s greater decision idea artwork of Common Studios Nice Britain to help in your investigations:
Talking of the federal government, the UK Prime Minister’s workplace additionally issued its personal announcement, stating that the transfer “represents a serious vote of confidence within the UK financial system and the way forward for partnerships between the UK and the US.” It known as the theme park one of many largest and most superior in Europe, and praised Common for its assist of the federal government’s “Plan for Change” to create financial progress and alternatives.
This press launch additionally highlighted the financial affect, indicating that Common Studios Nice Britain will deliver practically 20,000 jobs in the course of the building interval, with an extra 8,000 new jobs throughout the hospitality and inventive industries when it opens in 2031. It will assist the federal government to ship its progress mission – creating greater residing requirements and placing more cash in folks’s pockets.
In addition to producing important alternatives, the brand new theme park and resort will deliver important native advantages, and assist a stream of ongoing work to unleash the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge hall by progress, infrastructure revitalisation and additional job alternatives.
Common expects the location to generate practically £50 billion for the financial system by 2055, with 8.5 million guests anticipated in its first yr. In so doing, Common Studios Nice Britain will change into the most important customer attraction within the UK–and will ultimately rival Disneyland Paris because the #1 vacationer vacation spot in all of Europe.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned:
At this time we closed the deal on a multi-billion-pound funding that can see Bedford dwelling to one of many largest leisure parks in Europe, firmly placing the county on the worldwide stage.
That is our Plan for Change in motion, combining native and nationwide progress with creating round 28,000 new jobs throughout sectors comparable to building, AI, and tourism.
It isn’t nearly numbers; it’s about securing actual alternatives for folks in our nation. Collectively, we’re constructing a brighter future for the UK, getting folks into work and making certain our financial system stays robust and aggressive.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves mentioned:
At a time of world change, this funding is a vote of confidence in Britain as a spot to do enterprise. Common’s funding will deliver billions to the financial system and create hundreds of jobs to the UK, placing more cash in folks’s pockets.
Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Company, mentioned:
We couldn’t be extra excited to take this crucial step in our plan to create and ship an unimaginable Common theme park and resort within the coronary heart of the UK, which enhances our rising US-based parks enterprise by increasing our world footprint to Europe.
We admire the management and assist of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Minister for Funding Poppy Gustafsson, Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy and their groups, as we work collectively to create and ship a implausible new landmark vacation spot.
Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO of Common Locations & Experiences, mentioned:
Bringing a world-class theme park and resort to the UK is an amazing alternative and is a part of our technique to introduce the Common model and experiences to new audiences across the globe. We admire the unimaginable assist for our proposed venture and stay up for bringing it to life within the years forward.
As a part of the Plan for Change, the UK authorities will decide to a serious funding in infrastructure across the website to assist the supply of the venture and guarantee it’s effectively related and simply accessible. It comes simply days after the federal government signed-off the enlargement of Luton Airport, showcasing how the federal government’s pro-growth agenda is delivering real-life advantages for working folks.
The deal helps the UK’s world main inventive industries, a growth-driving sector recognized within the authorities’s fashionable Industrial Technique, which will likely be printed this spring. The Technique will drive funding into excessive progress sectors, unlocking jobs and progress proper throughout the nation.
Common Locations & Experiences has a confirmed observe document of constructing and working main theme parks and resorts throughout the globe. A Common improvement within the UK will be a part of the corporate’s present portfolio of locations throughout the US and Asia-Pacific.
The proposals for Common Studios Nice Britain stay topic to a planning determination from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Native Authorities. Right here’s some extra financial affect stuff from Common:
Turning to commentary, the timing of that is as soon as once more fascinating. This venture is changing into official within the lead-up to Epic Universe’s opening and as contemporary rumors swirl concerning the firm’s aggressive enlargement plans in Orlando. In the meantime, the information of the week on the Disney aspect of the ledger is that this: Bob Iger Warns of Tariffs’ Impression on Disney’s $60 Billion Growth Plans. (Spoiler: he’s not “warning” that Disney is doubling down on investments!)
Though I hate to contribute to theme park tribalism, it’s feeling like possibly we’re due for a sequel to: Is Common “Beating” Disney?That article is now over a yr outdated, and is particularly about Common Orlando and Walt Disney World, however conceivably might be prolonged to embody the broader Common Locations & Experiences and Disney Parks & Resorts divisions.
It nonetheless seems like Comcast has their foot on the gasoline, pushing the pedal to the metallic. In the meantime, it seems like Disney has set the cruise management for a leisurely Sunday drive at greatest, and beginning to pump the brakes at worst.
Though Disney has fortunately moved past speaking and blue sky daydreaming about nebulous future plans and at last has shovels within the soil, it nonetheless looks like Comcast is transferring a lot sooner. They’re hungrier, and certain appear to be full steam forward on their theme parks enterprise. In the meantime, DINOSAUR remains to be open till 2026 (for causes unknown), the primary of Walt Disney World’s enlargement gained’t come on-line till after 2027, and people $60 billion plans certain appear topic to vary.
It’s not simply Epic Universe in Orlando or this potential Common Nice Britain complicated, both. There’s additionally the Common Children Resort theme park and lodge beneath building Frisco, Texas. Then there’s the Common Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, Nevada. These are two smaller-scale initiatives, however they’re indicative of revolutionary ways in which Common is trying to enter the sights market with out tentpole vacationer locations.
Maybe I’m being unfair, or am “nearer” to the Disney aspect of issues, making me extra apt to note the faults and really feel the sluggish tempo of those initiatives. I’m unsure. However from the place I sit, it certain looks like Disney and Comcast are transferring at completely different speeds. Whereas there’s an actual sense of urgency to double-down on Common’s theme parks, Disney feels methodical to a fault. Just like the distinction between a lean startup and a bloated forms.
With regard to commentary about Common Studios Nice Britain, the park & resort venture is actually intriguing. One earlier subject of dialog amongst readers on this Florida-centric website was whether or not it’s a possible menace to Walt Disney World or Common Orlando. My assumption could be that it’s to a point, however not a serious sufficient one to warrant fear by both operator.
Any theme park within the yard of Brits goes to siphon off some company from the UK. That’s simply the sensible actuality of this kind of improvement, and no quantity of intelligent menu planning for the journey roster will change that. A sure share of company see “Common” or “Disney” and consider the entire parks as interchangeable, and can go to the one most handy to them.
However that already would’ve been taking place to some extent–Disneyland Paris has existed in France for over 30 years. It’s in all probability truthful to say that Walt Disney World hasn’t been struggling because of DLP. There are nonetheless loads of Europeans who view Central Florida because the definitive vacation spot for theme parks, and that’ll be true for Common, too, because it quickly has 3 gates in Orlando to Nice Britain’s one. (This park may additionally function a ‘style’ of Common that will get extra high-spending European ‘whales’ to ebook journeys to Florida!)
To that time, I’d assume that Common Studios Nice Britain could be extra of a direct competitor to Disneyland Paris, Alton Towers, Europa Park, Efteling, and different theme parks in Europe. It will virtually actually be extra of a fear for Disneyland Paris than it will likely be for Walt Disney World or Common Orlando.
One other factor that’ll be fascinating is what classes Common learns from Disneyland Paris in designing for the climate of Europe. Clearly, there will likely be extra indoor sights and one thing like World Bazaar at Tokyo Disneyland or the Arcades at Disneyland Paris to supply a lined procuring space. One thing like this additionally exists in Common Studios Japan over the primary entrance space. However the idea artwork additionally reveals just a few uncovered curler coasters, so there’s that.
Personally, I believe considerations about climate are overstated. Florida is downright depressing for a number of months of the yr, and Walt Disney World and Common Orlando put up unimaginable attendance numbers regardless of that. Certain, it’s a distinct form of disagreeable–however I’ll take just a few weeks of chilly and snow over months of warmth and humidity any day. You may at all times placed on extra layers–solely so many you may take away earlier than park safety will get concerned.
Joking apart, I believe theme park operators with the finances and experience of Common or Disney can work round inclimate climate in designing their parks to maintain company comfy. Equally as necessary, they’ve sufficient drawing energy to draw company year-round. Even when it’s snowy or wet, if phrase will get out that crowds are low, folks will bear with the climate.
Finally, it must be enjoyable to look at Common Studios Nice Britain take form. Whereas I gained’t faux to be an skilled on Nice Britain, the proposed website in Bedford Borough appears savvy. It provides a handy and accessible location, favorable visitor demographics, and it certain looks like locals are on board with the venture–and that’s half the battle. If Common’s statements concerning the optimistic reception are correct–and never simply spin–this park ought to have a smoother general path to its 2031 opening, and better probability of native embrace.
On the very least, we wouldn’t anticipate Brits to dub Common Nice Britain as a “cultural chernobyl,” which is what occurred with Euro Disneyland We hope all of those bulletins from Common create a higher sense of urgency inside the Walt Disney Firm to energy ahead with its personal plans with a higher sense of urgency, fast-tracking initiatives versus hitting pause as a result of tariffs, financial uncertainty, or varied different considerations (most of which will likely be a distant reminiscence by 2028–two years after the midterm elections–when these items begins opening).
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the Common Studios Nice Britain theme park complicated? Excited for this addition? Will you be there for opening day in 2031? Assume it’ll be a competitor to Walt Disney World and Common Orlando, or principally Disneyland Paris and different main theme parks in Europe? What potential lands and/or sights would you prefer to see Common construct in the UK? Assume this will likely be a worthy addition to Common’s theme parks portfolio? Count on Disney to “reply” with a giant announcement of its personal? Any questions? We love listening to from readers, so please share every other ideas or questions you may have within the feedback beneath!