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Northern Games could transform region, drive growth and benefit whole country

• Northern Games could transform region, drive growth and benefit whole country
• Next phase of work on potential bid gets green light after £7 million Budget investment
• Full feasibility study to look in detail at how North of England could host Games in 2040s

Ambitious plans to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the UK for the first time since London 2012 are ramping up, with a £7 million cash injection to explore a future Northern bid confirmed at this week’s Budget. 

The Government believes the Games could give the whole country something to get behind, help bring hope and boost national pride, with communities from across the North all in the running to play their part.

Mayors and local leaders across the North of England have rallied behind the idea of bidding for a Games that could unlock untapped potential across the region, involving tens of thousands of people in its delivery and engaging millions more through sport, culture and community activity.

Already, Government backing has helped secure a pipeline of the biggest events in sport, including last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup and its iconic final at Twickenham, next year’s Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs across England, Scotland and Wales, and UEFA EURO 2028, which will be held across the UK and Ireland.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:  

Few things bring a country together quite like the Olympics. I want people to feel that sense of excitement again, and to experience it in their own towns and communities, not just watch it on the telly. 

The Games would unlock opportunity across our towns and cities for the whole country. From north to south, it would be something everyone could get behind and be proud of. 

We know we can put on the greatest show on earth. Now we want to explore how we can do it again, with the whole country behind it.

A full feasibility study will now be launched to look in greater detail at how a Games would work in practice, including the types of venues and transport links needed, how hosting could be spread across the North, the cost and benefits for communities and the prospects of developing a winning bid.

It comes after UK Sport’s initial strategic assessment, announced in May, helped the proposal for a Northern Games clear its first hurdle. The next phase of work will be taken forward in partnership between the Government, UK Sport and the Northern Mayors, as well as the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations, who would ultimately be responsible for any bid.

Chancellor John Healey said: 

Olympic legacy lasts way beyond the celebration of sport over the summer. The North hosting an event as big as this would be truly unforgettable. 

Britain’s experience of London 2012 is proof we can host the world. I’m picking up the pace on our work to potentially bid for these prestigious games. It will lift communities, create opportunities and give the UK a huge boost.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

We have an incredible sporting history and have produced some of the greatest Olympians and Paralympians, from Keely Hodgkinson and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, to Hannah Cockcroft and Alistair Brownlee. 

Every corner of the country will benefit from - and be inspired by - this remarkable event hosted with all the talent, potential and ambition a Northern Olympics can bring. We’re backing the next steps towards a Northern Olympic bid so together we can write the next chapter of our country’s Olympic legacy.

The Games could support the Prime Minister and Chancellor’s wider ambitions to regenerate towns and cities everywhere. Through the Northern Growth Strategy, driven from No 10 North, that includes investment in better transport links, new homes, public spaces and grassroots sport.

The Government firmly sees major sporting events and sports facilities as playing a key role in driving economic growth, regeneration, improving pride in place, and bolstering the UK’s global appeal.