Could Manchester and Liverpool host the 2040 Olympics?

Could the world’s greatest sporting event be heading to the North West?

Journalist, broadcaster and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, Liam Fogarty, has sparked fresh debate by calling for Liverpool and Manchester to seriously consider a joint bid to host the 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Winning the right to stage the Olympics can transform a region’s image, spark investment and leave a legacy for generations to come.

Both Liverpool and Manchester have a proven record when it comes to innovation and global influence, from music and science to sport and industry. The cities already have a strong sporting pedigree, recently co-hosting major boxing championships. With plans for a “Northern Arc” high-speed rail link and celebrations on the horizon for the 200th anniversary of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, Liam says the timing could be perfect for an Olympic bid that celebrates co-operation and ambition.

The International Olympic Committee is now open to bids from multiple cities, and by 2040 it will have been sixteen years since a European city last hosted the Summer Olympics.

Any bid would need to focus on cost and sustainability, learning from the approach taken by Paris in 2024, where organisers reimagined city landmarks and kept new construction to a minimum.

So what could a Liverpool and Manchester Olympics actually look like?

Liam’s masterplan includes sports and ceremonies spread across both city regions, ensuring an equal share of the spotlight and benefits.

Most events would use existing venues, such as AO Arena and Manchester City’s stadium, Liverpool’s waterfront and football grounds, and even unique spaces like fencing at St George’s Hall, equestrian at Knowsley Hall, and speed climbing in Liverpool Cathedral.

A handful of new facilities, such as an aquatic centre in Wigan, would double as regeneration projects for local communities.

Qualifying events could be held across Northern towns, and universities from Chester to Hull could welcome athletes for training camps.

Proposed Olympic venues include:

Liverpool North & Coastal: Everton FC, Liverpool FC, North Docks, Aintree Racecourse, Knowsley Hall, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Altcarn

Liverpool Downtown: Waterfront/Strand, M&S Arena, ACC Liverpool, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral, St George’s Hall

Central: Wigan Aquatic Centre, Bolton Arena, St Helens Carr Mill, Halton

Manchester Downtown: AO Arena, Manchester Central, Castlefield, Salford Quays, Lancashire Cricket Club, Manchester United FC

Manchester East: Manchester City FC, Co-op Live Arena, National Cycling Centre, Platt Fields, Stockport Tennis Centre, boroughs for road cycling

Other venues: National Rowing Centre (Nottingham), National Sailing Academy (Weymouth), football group stages in Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, and Sunderland

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