Britain wants to be the world's premier sporting events destination
More than a decade after London's celebrated 2012 Games, Britain is once again turning its gaze toward the Olympic flame. The UK government has begun early, deliberate conversations about bidding to host the Summer and Winter Olympics in the 2040s, with London, Liverpool, and Manchester each representing a different vision of what such an undertaking might mean for the nation. This quiet groundwork sits within a larger ambition: to establish Britain not merely as an occasional host of great events, but as a country that actively shapes the global sporting calendar — and, in doing so, shapes itself.
- Britain hasn't hosted the Olympics since London 2012, and the window to re-enter the race is narrowing as the IOC looks toward 2036 and beyond.
- The push isn't just about one event — the government is simultaneously pursuing Euro 2028, the 2035 Women's World Cup, golf's Ryder and Solheim Cups, and a packed summer of 2025 competitions, stacking proof that Britain can deliver at scale.
- A political fault line runs through the Olympic bid: London's mayor wants the capital to lead, while northern cities like Liverpool and Manchester are pressing for a share of the spotlight they've never had.
- Ticket scalping threatens to undermine the public goodwill these events depend on, and the government is moving to criminalize unauthorized reselling — a small legal lever aimed at keeping fans in seats and bids attractive.
- The hardest questions — cost, construction, public support — remain unanswered, and the IOC's willingness to award Britain another Games is far from guaranteed.
Britain is quietly laying the groundwork for a return to the Olympic stage. The UK government has begun preliminary discussions about supporting bids to host the Summer and Winter Games sometime in the 2040s, with officials at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport describing the work as early but serious. Planners are already wrestling with the foundational questions: what it will cost, what it might return, and whether Britain can realistically win the right to host.
London last held the Games in 2012. With Los Angeles taking 2028 and Brisbane 2032, the IOC has yet to assign cities for 2036 and beyond — and that's where Britain sees its opening. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has signaled his city's interest in 2040, but political leaders from the north are making a competing case: that Liverpool or Manchester, as co-hosts, could bring the Games to a region that has never had them.
The Olympic ambition is one piece of a broader strategy. The government wants Britain to become a sustained destination for major sporting events, not just an occasional one. It is weighing bids for golf's Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup in the 2030s — the latter has never been held in Britain — while already committed to hosting Euro 2028 across all four home nations and standing as the sole bidder for the 2035 Women's World Cup.
Standing in the way is a familiar problem: ticket touts. The government has proposed legislation to criminalize unauthorized reselling for major events, reasoning that if fans can attend at face value, events are better experienced, better perceived, and more likely to attract future bids. Whether that framework will extend to Euro 2028 is still being determined.
For now, Britain is signaling intent. But intent will need to harden into answers — about funding, infrastructure, and public appetite — before the IOC takes notice.
Britain is quietly laying groundwork for something it hasn't done in over a decade: hosting the Olympic Games. The UK government has begun preliminary discussions about supporting bids to bring the Summer and Winter Olympics to British soil sometime in the 2040s, according to officials at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The conversations are still in their infancy—what the government calls "initial work"—but they're serious enough that planners are already weighing the fundamental questions any host nation must answer: What will it cost? What economic and social returns might it generate? And realistically, can Britain win the competition to host?
London last held the Games in 2012, a moment that now feels distant enough to be historical. Since then, the Olympic movement has moved on. Los Angeles will host in 2028, followed by Brisbane in 2032. The International Olympic Committee hasn't yet assigned cities for 2036 and beyond, which is where Britain sees its opening. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has already signaled his city's interest in bidding for 2040. But there's also talk of spreading the Games beyond the capital—political leaders from the north of England have made a case that cities like Liverpool and Manchester could serve as co-hosts, arguing there's a compelling reason to bring the event to a region that hasn't hosted it before.
The Olympic exploration is part of a broader ambition. The government wants to position Britain as the world's premier destination for major sporting events, a kind of sporting superpower that doesn't just host games but actively pursues them. To that end, officials are also weighing whether to support bids for golf's Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup in the 2030s. Bolton has already thrown its hat in the ring for the Ryder Cup in 2035, which would mark the first time in more than three decades that England has hosted the competition. The Solheim Cup—the women's equivalent, pitting Europe's best female golfers against their American counterparts—has never been held in Britain, and England Golf has asked the government to back a bid.
The timing is opportune. Britain is already committed to hosting Euro 2028, the European football championship, across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It's also the sole bidder for the 2035 Women's World Cup. This summer alone will see the country stage the Women's T20 World Cup, the European Athletics Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. The government sees these events as stepping stones, proof of concept that Britain can deliver.
But there's a practical obstacle the government is trying to remove: ticket scalping. In November, officials announced legislation to criminalize the resale of sports tickets at inflated prices—though notably, football was exempted from those rules. Now the government is signaling it may expand that framework, potentially making unauthorized ticket reselling a criminal offense for major events like Euro 2028. The logic is straightforward: if fans can't be priced out by touts, more people can actually attend. If more people can attend at face value, the events look better, the atmosphere is better, and future bids become more attractive. It's a small policy lever with outsized ambitions.
What remains unclear is whether Britain's appetite for hosting matches the International Olympic Committee's appetite for awarding. The Olympics are expensive, complicated, and increasingly controversial in host cities. The government's "initial work" will need to answer hard questions about where the Games would be built, who would pay for it, and whether the public would support it. Those answers won't come quickly. But for now, Britain is signaling that it wants back in the game.
Citações Notáveis
Initial work will assess key factors such as potential cost, socio-economic benefit and chance of success— UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport
The government wants to make the UK the go-to destination for hosting major sports events— UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why is the government exploring this now, in the 2040s specifically? That's fifteen years away.
The IOC hasn't assigned hosts for 2036 and beyond yet. Britain is getting ahead of the curve, before other countries lock in their bids. It's about timing and positioning.
But the Olympics are expensive and unpopular in many host cities. Why would Britain want that headache?
The government sees it differently—as a way to cement Britain's identity as a major events destination. They're already hosting Euro 2028 and bidding for the Women's World Cup. The Olympics would be the capstone.
You mentioned ticket scalping legislation. How does that connect to the Olympic bid?
It's strategic. If the government can show the IOC that it's serious about protecting fan access and keeping prices fair, it makes the bid more attractive. It also builds public goodwill, which matters when you're asking voters to support hosting.
So this isn't just about the Olympics. It's about a whole portfolio of events.
Exactly. The government wants to be the go-to destination. The Olympics would be the flagship, but the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup, Euro 2028—they're all part of the same narrative: Britain as a world-class host.
What happens if the bid fails?
Then Britain still has all the other events. But losing an Olympic bid would sting, especially after London 2012 was so successful. That's probably why they're being careful, doing the groundwork first.