The Olympics in the north of England? Government approves UK Sports trial of ‘multi-city’ bid for 2040s | Olympics news
Geraint Hughes
Sports News Reporter
The Government has authorized UK Sport to examine a bid for the North of England to host the Olympic and Paralympic games in the 2040s; The games have been held in London three times but nowhere else in the UK; The North is overdue in the world, says Lisa Nandy MP
Last updated: 16/05/26 8:18pm
A bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the North of England in the 2040s is being considered.
A bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the North of England in the 2040s is being planned by the Government after it authorized UK Sport to launch a feasibility study.
London last hosted the Games in 2012, but any UK bid in the 2040s will be in many Northern England cities for the Olympic & Paralympic Games.
London has hosted the Olympics three times – in 1908, 1948 and 2012 – but nowhere else in the UK. Manchester failed to bid to host the games in 1996 and 2000 when the city came third in the bidding process, while Sydney won the right to host the Olympics in 2000.
The potential 2040s bid for the North of England comes as the current UK Government believes that for a long time any bid for the north would not be successful as only London was seen as big enough and important enough to host the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’.
Keely Hodgkinson celebrates gold with a new championship record at the World Athletics Indoor Championships (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, told Parliament Sky Sports: “The North of England has long shown an amazing ability to produce some of the best sports not only in the country, but in the world.
“We have produced world-class athletes, people like Keely Hodgkinson and many others, but we have been told time and time again that when it comes to the Olympics, they are not just for us.
“We do not accept that as a government, so today we are firing the gun if we fight for the Olympics in the North of England in the 2040s.
“We think it’s long overdue and it’s time for the North.
“It’s our vote of confidence in the North of England. We’ve seen what London 2012 can do for the country and we believe it’s time to bring the Olympics home to the North of England and show the world what we can do.”
The London 2012 Olympic Games were the last to be held in Britain
‘We can put on the most incredible Olympics the world has ever seen’
While traditionally the Olympics & Paralympics are hosted by one city, the plan for a possible fourth Games on UK soil is not based on one city, but rather several.
“Manchester is a big help for us in this, but we believe that the Olympic Games could be shared at other sites, said Nandy, who described Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium as a “world-class facility”.
Nandy added: “We are looking at the most urban areas in the north of England as part of our bid and obviously we are talking to all the key players this time starting with the British Olympic Association, but the IOC and others.
“We have seen in other areas such as football how events that include many cities cannot take place, not only to please the fans, but it can improve many places in this country and in other countries in the world.
We already have good infrastructure across the North of England. I have been to the new Everton Stadium, which is world class. (There is) work going on in Leeds at the moment in terms of regeneration there. The North East has enormous potential that has been neglected for far too long.
Lisa Nandy
Everton’s Hill Dickinson stadium has a capacity of around 53,000
“If we host Euro 2028, we will be welcoming people from all over the world in several locations throughout the country and similarly when the World Cup starts, it will start in the USA, Mexico and Canada so we know that this can be done.
“We think that by working with the whole of the North of England which is already united and working as a team in so many areas, bringing together the Mayors of all the major city regions we think we can put on the most amazing Olympics the world has ever seen.”
With the current Labor Government having just endured the worst local election results in their history, is it fair to ask whether this ‘good news’ story is simply a ploy to divert attention from the Government’s problems.
Nandy rejects this assertion. “I want to make it clear to you – We want to do this as a government,” he said.
“This is not us saying that we will look and see if we think it is possible, we are looking at how we can do this, not if we can do this.
“It is about looking at what we will need, what infrastructure we will need, what changes in planning law, what public transport, what investment and funding and resources we will need and what interests and political support we will need as well.
“We are asking the public to get involved. We want people to get behind this petition so that when we go out to present it we will be ready and show the world that we are united as one country, we believe in the north of England, we believe that it is time for the Olympics to come home and we know that we can give a real interview with 20 Olympics in 20 Olympics.”
“We will not hesitate to do everything we can to help people with the cost of living in these really difficult times, but people deserve the right to be able to enjoy great sporting moments and great sporting success.”
