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.
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...
