Yorkshire Mayors and Leaders back call to host Olympics in the North

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.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: 

“A Northern Olympics would help us showcase our sporting prowess and proud record of producing champions.

“It would be a real catalyst for investment, jobs, opportunity, and true national renewal.

“We have the venues, we have the talent, and we have the ambition - let’s bring the Olympics to the North and prove that when we’re backed, we deliver.”

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard said:

“South Yorkshire has a long, indelible sporting heritage. We’ve been at the centre of global sport for generations. Sheffield is the home of football, where the original rules were written, and for 50 years we’ve proudly hosted the World Snooker Championships. We don’t just take part in global sport, we help shape it. 

“From Seb Coe to Prince Naseem Hamed to Dorothy Hyman to Kevin Keegan to Jess Ennis-Hill, we’ve given the world some of the world’s biggest and best sporting success stories and most exciting moments. With the English Institute of Sport, the Olympic Legacy Park and Ponds Forge right at the heart of our region, we have world‑class facilities that define the success of athletes today and inspire the next generation to dream bigger tomorrow.

“And now we’re ready to welcome the world; and to make sure the benefits of hosting the Olympic Games are felt in every corner of our communities – leaving a lasting legacy of better health, happier, more active children and young people, and a region more confident in our own future. It’s about restoring the pride, purpose and prosperity of South Yorkshire, and showing the world what the North and the UK can achieve.”

Chair of The Great North and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:

“The North of England has a sporting history and prowess like no other place, and we are united in our belief that our region could host a box office, world-leading Olympic Games.

“Bringing the Olympics to the UK would unite the North and the whole nation, bringing people together and unleashing a groundswell of pride in our places. The Olympics create a legacy like no other, with game-changing investment in jobs, regeneration and transport, creating opportunity for people across the North.

“As Mayors and leaders we are ready to deliver, now we need national Government and sporting bodies to match our ambition: The Olympics would be our moment for the North to stand tall on the international stage.”

Read more from The Great North