The North of England could play host to the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time in history, as Northern Mayors and Leaders today set out a clear proposition for a future UK bid to be anchored in the North of England.
The Great North - a collaboration of Mayors and Leaders across the North - has written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy, calling on Government to commit in principle that any future UK Olympic and Paralympic bid is based in the North and for a fairer redistribution of major events across the country.
The North already has many of the foundations in place to deliver a world-class Games, including elite sporting venues, major stadia and arenas, established transport hubs, accommodation capacity, and world-class broadcast and creative capability.
The letter comes following a call from the Heseltine Institute for the North of England to host a multi-city games, citing the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s growing support for multi-city, region-wide bids, making a Northern England Games both credible and timely.
The case for the North of England is compelling. The International Olympic Committee’s clear move towards multi-city and region-wide Games creates a moment of opportunity that the UK should not miss. With a proven track record of hosting celebrated global events, from the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the EURO 2028 football championships, the Great North Run, Rugby League World Cups, The Open, Ashes Tests, the Grand National, and major football tournaments. The Tour de France will be hosted in Cumbria, Liverpool City Region and Yorkshire in 2027, while the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield is a regular feature in the North’s sporting calendar.
The North is already a sporting and creative powerhouse has a strong and proven cultural pedigree and a track record of delivering major culture events at scale, being home to the Hull UK City of Culture in 2017 and Bradford in 2025, hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, and major cultural showcases including the MOBO Awards, Turner Prize, MTV European Music Awards and the BRITs.
Northern Mayors and Leaders believe a Games anchored in the North would represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate regeneration, rebalance the economy, and reset international perceptions of England. It could act as a catalyst for long-term investment in transport, skills, housing, grassroots sport and cultural infrastructure, with benefits lasting well beyond the closing ceremony.
In the letter, Mayors and leaders have asked Government to:
- agree in principle that any future UK Olympic and Paralympic bid is anchored in the North of England
- support proportionate feasibility and preparatory work in partnership with Northern Mayors and Leaders
- align early on the legacy objectives of any bid, ensuring long-term benefit for Northern communities, including a plan to redistribute more major events to the North as a catalyst for jobs, regeneration and attracting more visitors.
The Mayors and Leaders of The Great North say they stand ready to work with Government to shape a proposal that is credible, deliverable and transformative - not just for the North, but for the country as a whole.
Cllr Jonathan Brook, leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, and Cllr Mark Fryer, leader of Cumberland Council, both constituent councils in the soon-to-launch Cumbria Combined Authority, welcomed the ambitious move. They said:
“Already this year we have been able to announce that one world famous sporting event, the Tour de France, is heading to Cumbria and the north of England in 2027, so we should continue to aim high.
“It is unlikely that stood alone any city or county could have realistic hopes of pulling off such a major coup. But the combined ambition and offer of the authorities across the North of England is a far stronger proposition and we stand ready to engage with Government on working up a proposal that could have generational impact and legacy for our entire region and the country as a whole.”
Sir Brendan Foster CBE, Founder of the Great North Run, said:
“I wholeheartedly support the mayors’ ambition for the North of England. However, this is about more than an Olympic bid. It's about delivering a fairer distribution of major international sporting events across the country.
“Obviously iconic sporting occasions like Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, Lords Test matches and the London Marathon, are rightly celebrated in the nation's capital, but when the government is financing hosting global sporting events, they should have a balanced national approach as their guiding principle.
“The North of England should play a central role in hosting world and European level football, rugby, cricket and multi sport events, and should clearly have a strong presence at the decision making table.
“That is only fair and represents the significant interest and contribution the North has always and will always make to British sport.”