THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has signalled its intention to join a proposed multi-city bid to host the Olympic Games in 2040, working alongside regional leaders in England.
Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, confirmed ministers in Cardiff would support plans already being explored by English metro mayors for a Games staged across England and Wales.
Earlier this month, northern leaders wrote to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging the UK Government to back a bid for a multi-city Olympics “anchored in the north of England as the primary host location”.
Mr Skates said Wales would add its weight to that proposal and would contact Ms Nandy to press the case. Speaking to WalesOnline, he suggested venues in north Wales could play a part, pointing to Holyhead as a potential sailing venue and STōK Cae Ras in Wrexham as a football stadium option. He added that facilities across the rest of Wales, including the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, could also be included.
“When I talk about the north, I mean everything to the north and west of the M25,” he said, arguing a shared Games stretching from Holyhead to Hull could help rebalance investment across the UK.
The original letter backing a northern-led bid was signed by a number of English metro mayors, including Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram. Mr Burnham said it would be “neither fair nor right” for London to host a fourth time, while Mr Rotheram described a northern Games as a “once-in-a-lifetime chance” to bring the Olympics closer to communities that have often felt overlooked.
By contrast, Sadiq Khan has said London would be interested in bidding again, which would mark its fourth Olympics after 1908, 1948 and 2012.
Mr Skates said improved rail links—announced last week following discussions with English metro authorities—could support a cross-border Games. He cited co-operation on projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail as evidence that joint investment could unlock major economic benefits.
He argued that spreading events across multiple regions would make hosting more affordable than staging a single-nation Commonwealth Games. Wales had previously considered a Commonwealth bid, he said, but costs would have fallen largely on Welsh taxpayers.
“With the Olympics, costs can be shared across administrations,” he said, noting that local authorities met only a small proportion of the costs of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Mr Skates also pointed to Wales’ experience hosting major sporting events, including UEFA European Championship fixtures, the Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire with Welsh links, and the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, as evidence of the UK’s capability to stage large-scale competitions.
He said the International Olympic Committee is increasingly focused on sustainability, encouraging hosts to use existing venues and infrastructure—something he believes Wales and northern England could offer.
No formal UK bid has yet been launched, but Mr Skates said Wales was keen to play its part should the plan gather pace, arguing that a shared Games could bring lasting economic and transport benefits to communities on both sides of the border.
