Geraint Hughes
sports news correspondent
The Government has given approval for British Sport to assess the bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the north of England in the 2040s. The Olympics have been held in London three times, but not elsewhere in the UK. Rep. Lisa Nandy says North Korea demands too much prominence on the world stage
Last updated: 17/05/26 12:45am
Consideration is being given to hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the north of England in the 2040s.
The Government plans to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the north of England in the 2040s after giving permission to British Sport to begin a feasibility study.
London last hosted the Olympics in 2012, but if the UK were to bid in the 2040s, several cities in northern England would host the Olympics and Paralympics.
London has hosted the Olympics three times: in 1908, 1948 and 2012, but no other location in the UK has hosted an Olympics. Manchester failed to bid for the Olympics in 1996, and came third in the bidding process in 2000, with Sydney winning the right to host the Olympics.
The possibility of a 2040s bid in the north of England was due to the current UK government believing for too long that a northern bid was doomed to failure, as only London was deemed large and important enough to host the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’.
Keeley Hodgkinson celebrates her record-setting gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, told Sky Sports: ‘The north of England has long demonstrated an incredible ability to host some of the best sporting events in the country and the world.
“We’ve produced world-class athletes like Keeley Hodgkinson and many others, but when it comes to the Olympics, we’ve been told over and over again that it’s not for us.
“As a Government, we cannot accept that, so today we are firing the gun for the North of England to bid for the Olympics in the 2040s.
“We think it’s long overdue and now it’s North Korea’s turn.
“This is a vote of confidence from those of us in the north of England. We saw what the 2012 London Games are capable of for this country and we believe now is the time to bring the Olympics back to the north of England and show the world what we are capable of.”
The 2012 London Olympics was the last Olympics held in the UK.
“We can host one of the greatest Olympics the world has ever seen.”
Traditionally, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are held in a single city, but plans for a fourth edition of the Games on mainland Britain could see them held in multiple cities rather than just one.
“Manchester is a huge asset for us in this respect, but we believe that the Olympic Games could be shared in other venues as well,” said Nandy, who described Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium as a “world-class facility”.
Mr Nandy added: “We are looking at multiple venues across the north of England as part of our bid and are in discussions with all key stakeholders on this, including of course the British Olympic Association, as well as the IOC and other bodies.”
“We’ve seen in other areas such as soccer that multi-city events can be really, really positive for fans, but also a huge boost for many parts of this country and the rest of the world.
The north of England already has excellent infrastructure. I was recently at the new Everton Stadium, a world-class facility. Regeneration initiatives are currently underway in Leeds. The Northeast has huge potential that has been overlooked for far too long.
Lisa Nandy
Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium has a capacity of approximately 53,000 people
“When we host Euro 2028, we will be hosting people from all over the world to several venues in the country, and similarly when the World Cup starts, we will be starting in America, Mexico and Canada, so we know that is possible.
“By working with the whole of the North of England, which is already coming together and working as a team in many areas, and by bringing together mayors from all the major city areas, we believe we can deliver one of the greatest Olympic Games the world has ever seen.”
Given that the current Labor government has endured one of the worst local election results in history, it is natural to wonder if this “good news” story is just a gimmick to distract from the government’s problems.
This is a claim that Nandy denied. “Let me be clear: as a government, we want to do this,” she said.
“This is not to say let’s look at whether we can do this; we are looking at how we can do this, not if we can do this.
“It’s about figuring out what we’re going to need, what infrastructure we’re going to need, what planning law changes we’re going to need, what public transport we’re going to need, what investment and funding and resources we’re going to need and what kind of political goodwill and support we’re going to need.
“We’re asking the public to get involved and play their part. We want people to help us with this bid so that when we go to launch we’re ready and we can show the world that we’re united as one nation, believing in the North of England, believing it’s time for the Olympics to come back and believing we can deliver a truly great bid and a successful Olympic Games in the 2040s.”
“We will not hesitate to pull any levers we can to help people with their living expenses during this really difficult time. But people have the right to enjoy great moments in sport and great successes in sport.”
