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As the sun sets on the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, and we wait another four years for the Los Angeles games to begin, a simple question hangs in the air: should the UK consider a bid for the Olympics and Paralympics? Australia will host in 2032 in Brisbane, and it is being reported that Qatar will host in 2036 in Doha. So, the next opportunity to secure the hosting rights is 2040 and 16 years out, plans for bids are already underway.
As UK-based sport researchers studying the impacts and legacies of international sporting events, we can see four clear reasons why hosting another Olympics would be a positive opportunity, rather than a burden, for the UK.
1. Different bidding and hosting requirements
The Olympic bidding process has changed. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the governing body responsible for allocating the hosting rights, has introduced “Agenda 2020+5” in acknowledgement of the need to build more sustainable games, and the ongoing cost overruns of past Olympics.
Among many other reforms, Agenda 2020+5 has replaced the traditional, competitive bidding process with an ongoing, open dialogue between candidate host nations. The “new norm” is an initiative to reduce the burden of prospective hosts in a range of games-related areas – for example, placing more emphasis on mega-event sustainability, and giving host cities and countries more flexibility when it comes to event programming and venue usage.
This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.
2. The way hosts deliver the games has changed
Recent mega-event bidding trends suggest a shift towards more flexible hosting models. Only two new venues (Porte del la Chapelle and the Aquatics Centre) were constructed for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, demonstrating it is possible to host with preexisting venues.
The IOC and other agencies are now open to the possibility of multi-city, regional or even multi-country bids – evident in the recent awarding of the 2030 Winter Games to the French Alps, as well as the 2026 Fifa World Cup to North America (Canada, Mexico and the US). These and other examples show innovative, more sustainable ways to host beyond a traditional single-city extravaganza.
Findings from our recent feasibility study for a UK “capital of sport” found a strong appetite across all four UK nations to continue to host events of different scales in the coming decades. A number of UK cities – including Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff – have a strong track-record of hosting major events since London 2012, so any UK 2040 bid would need a constructive discussion around the locations and effective use of infrastructure.
This is possible, as we are seeing with the Uefa Men’s Euros 2028 ten-stadium consortium between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
3. The UK has learned from past mistakes
The UK has learnt a great deal from hosting previous mega-sporting events, from infrastructure development and organising committee effectiveness to securing long-term social legacies. However, research has consistently shown that despite government rhetoric, no mega-event anywhere in the world has fully realised its legacy ambitions.
For example, our 2021 study found no evidence that hosting an Olympic Games leads to an increase in sport participation. At the same time, we identified several key lessons about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to achieving a legacy.
One example from London 2012 was the creation of Spirit of 2012, a £47 million endowment fund set up to create a positive social legacy for the games. This fund has invested in over 200 projects across the country since 2012.
Many of the team behind the fund are optimistic about a 2040 bid, citing the potential soft-power benefits, such as growing the GREAT campaign that seeks to enhance the UK’s global reputation and drive economic growth.
But others are more cautious, imploring any future bid to think about finances, future generations, sustainability and, perhaps most intriguingly, whether the Olympics are the “right” mega-event to host next in the UK.
Careful planning will be required to create the desired social outcomes, such as continuing to raise the profile of the Paralympic movement – which the National Paralympic Heritage Trust has championed since its post-London 2012 inception – or offering young people the chance to curate their 2040 version of “inspiring a generation”, the motto for London 2012.
Some of this is already being done. Work is underway on a legacy partnership between Spirit of 2012, the London Legacy Development Corporation and other partners to ensure “the perspective and experience of young east Londoners continues to shape the legacy of the London 2012 Games”.
4. Readiness to host mega-sporting events
Some politicians and sporting officials have already backed the UK to host future mega-sporting events. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, recently spoke of his desire for London to host the 2040 games. Khan made bidding for the Olympics part of his recent re-election campaign, arguing that London is the “undisputed sports capital of the world”. He said there was “no reason” why other parts of the country could not also host certain events.
Olympian Tom Daley agrees, saying recently: “I feel like London is one of the few cities on the planet where you would be able to host the games tomorrow.” And the prime minister, Keir Starmer, was spotted in Paris wearing a Team GB tracksuit and discussing the need to invest more in elite sport funding.
UK Sport, the government agency responsible for delivering medal success at the Olympics and Paralympics, has also been looking to build a case for the UK hosting future mega-events. This includes the Women’s Football World Cup, which has been called “the biggest sporting event the UK has never hosted”.
Voices from the UK’s event sector, academia and political sphere all demonstrate a readiness to discuss hosting the 2040 Olympics and Paralympics. However, we also know from recent research that opinions and ideas from all parts of the UK will need to be gathered, if any plan to host the games is to prove both inclusive and visionary.
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Verity Postlethwaite receives funding from Spirit of 2012 as part of their Learning Partnership scheme.
Mathew Dowling does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
