A long-awaited turning point has arrived for one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects. The first confirmed construction date for Eden Project Morecambe has finally been revealed – and it is now just weeks away.
Andy Jasper, chief executive of the Eden Project, announced that work will begin on June 24, marking the first visible step in transforming Morecambe’s Promenade into a major national attraction. Speaking during a BBC Radio 4 programme celebrating 25 years of the original Eden Project in Cornwall, he confirmed that “spades go in the ground” this summer, with the full opening expected in the latter part of 2028.
The update provides the clearest timeline yet for a scheme that has been years in the making and widely described as a potential game-changer for the Lancashire seaside town.
A project gathering momentum
Local leaders were quick to welcome the announcement. Morecambe BID described the confirmed start date as a “major milestone” in the town’s ongoing transformation, highlighting the wider economic benefits expected to follow.
With VINCI Building appointed as the main contractor, the £100 million development is expected to bring jobs, apprenticeships and long-term investment into the area. The attraction is projected to draw around 580,000 visitors annually – a figure that could reshape the local economy.
The first visible phase of construction will focus on the Bring Me Sunshine Garden, a 1.6-acre public space set along the central Promenade. This area will stretch from the iconic Midland Hotel to the town’s popular wishing well, incorporating both the existing feature and the Morecambe War Memorial into its design.
A garden rooted in local identity
More than just landscaping, the Bring Me Sunshine Garden is being positioned as a symbolic and practical starting point for the wider project. Designed as a community hub and “living classroom”, it will include sheltered seating areas, horticultural spaces and plots for local groups.
Its name pays tribute to Eric Morecambe, one half of the legendary comedy duo Ernie Wise, whose famous song lends the garden both its identity and emotional connection to the town.
The design has also involved input from local young people, reinforcing Eden’s broader mission of community engagement and environmental education. Garden designer Harry Holding has indicated that an early version of the concept will be showcased at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show before construction begins.
If timelines remain on track, the garden will open to the public in spring 2027, offering an early glimpse of the transformation ahead.
A vision beyond tourism
Eden Project Morecambe is not being pitched as a conventional visitor attraction. Plans include immersive exhibition spaces known as the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon, alongside public gardens, a 6,000-capacity events venue, and hospitality spaces.
Organisers describe it as an exploration of “nature’s rhythms” – an experience designed to highlight both the beauty and fragility of the natural world, while connecting it to human wellbeing and the future of places like Morecambe Bay.
The project sits on land with a long leisure history, previously home to The Dome, the Bubbles leisure centre, and before that an outdoor swimming complex. Planning permission was first granted in 2022, with revised plans approved earlier this year, setting the stage for what Eden leaders now call a “transformative” period beginning in 2026.
From vision to reality
The original Eden Project in Cornwall – opened 25 years ago in a former china clay pit – has become one of the UK’s most recognised environmental attractions. The Morecambe project aims to replicate that success while tailoring the concept to the identity and ecology of Morecambe Bay.
For a town that has long awaited large-scale investment, the confirmed construction start date signals more than progress – it suggests momentum is finally becoming reality.
June 24 now stands as a date that could redefine Morecambe’s future.
