Eden Project Morecambe Hub set to open as start of work on site draws closer

A new Eden Project Morecambe Hub will officially open its doors ahead of the long-awaited start of work on the new £100m visitor attraction.

Work is due to start on the central Promenade site later this month and the new Hub where people can keep updated about the scheme will open across the road this Saturday (August 15).

The Hub will officially open inside a unit at the Winter Gardens theatre from noon to 5pm, as part of the Morecambe Maritime Festival celebrations. 

People are welcome to go along, ask questions and discover how Eden Project Morecambe is taking shape.

Following this opening day, the Hub will be open every Friday from 10am to 2pm. 

Eden Project Morecambe social media channels have also officially launched this week on Facebook and Instagram.

"Fences will go up and the build team arrive later this month to start work on Eden Project Morecambe," said a newsletter issued by the Eden Project this week.

"The Bring Me Sunshine Garden is the first phase of the Eden Project Morecambe build.

"It will be a 1.5 acre community garden. The award-winning garden draws inspiration from the dramatic coastal landscapes and seaside heritage.

"We are constructing the garden from sustainable materials, reflecting the strength and resourcefulness of Morecambe Bay. Pinks and yellows dotted with vibrant blues will create a sweeping coastal meadow."

Meanwhile a prohibition of through traffic order, temporarily closing a section of Morecambe Promenade, starts on Thursday August 20 and will be in force whilst "works are carried out on or near the route".

The closure area is a section of footpath on the seafront side running parallel to where the Bring Me Sunshine Gardens will be created.

The traffic order also covers two roads linking this area to Marine Road Central. 

This map on site shows the area (red lined) covered by the temporary closure

The order, by Lancashire County Council, is in place for a period of six months or until works are completed.

Eden has not yet confirmed exactly when work will begin on the central Promenade attraction, which is due to open in late 2028.

But with the traffic order set to kick in next week, and another sign nearby advising that a bench will be removed on Monday (August 17) due to work on the Eden Project Morecambe, the long-awaited start date is clearly drawing closer.

The sign on this bench (below) on grass earmarked for part of the Bring Me Sunshine Garden says: "This bench will be removed on the 17th of August due to Eden Project North building works."

Other signs located nearby, announce the Prohibition of Through Traffic Order.

The full order says: "Lancashire County Council intend to make an order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended, the effect of which is to prohibit temporarily all traffic from proceeding over the route indicated below:-

"The full width of the footpath from Marine Road Central at SD 4288 6437, (Point A), in a northerly direction along the tarmac path for 80 metres to the junction with the promenade at SD 4282 6444 at Point B. Then continuing along the full width of the promenade in an easterly direction for 80 metres to SD 4290 6445 at Point C. From Point C only the southern half of the promenade is closed for a further 80 metres to SD 4297 6444 at Point D. Then finally the full width of the route in a generally southerly direction along the tarmac path for 35 metres to join Marine Road Central at SD 4297 6441 (Point E).

"The closure is necessary whilst works are carried out on or near the route.

"Access for pedestrians to any premises situated on or adjacent to the route, or to any other premises accessible for pedestrians from, and only from, the route, will be maintained at all times.

"Nothing in this order shall apply to emergency service vehicles, public rights of way officers of the County Council on foot or to those undertaking the works.

"The order will be operative from the 20th August, 2026, for a period of 6 months or until the works are completed within this period."

Momentum has been building over the past few months ahead of the start of work on the new facility.

Site investigation work took place on the site of the Bring Me Sunshine Garden last month (below).

This followed a 'Breaking Ground Ceremony' at the site in June, attended by hundreds of people, marking the first official 'spade in the ground' on the land.

Earlier this year, VINCI Building were announced as the main contractors for the project, and the 'Bring Me Sunshine Garden' won two awards at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.

The Bring Me Sunshine Garden - named with a nod to the town's favourite son, comedian Eric Morecambe and his trademark song - was designed by award‑winning duo Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis and co‑created with young adults from Morecambe. 

Harry Holding with actor Kim Cattrall at the Bring Me Sunshine Garden exhibition at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May

The garden – which will form part of the free-to-enter community gardens due to open in spring 2027 – features materials rooted in Morecambe Bay’s heritage.

A solar‑powered, shell‑shaped canopy using tensioned local limestone, will form the centrepiece, sheltering an outdoor classroom that blends hands‑on horticulture, foraging, crafts and digital learning. 

The garden will stretch from next to the Midland hotel to the popular wishing well on the Prom (below), which will remain and become part of it.

As well as the gardens, and exhibitions themed on the natural world and Morecambe Bay housed inside a 'Realm of the Sun' and a 'Realm of the Moon', the attraction will include a 6000-capacity concert venue, a cafe and a restaurant.

Plans for the attraction - then known as Eden Project North - were first revealed in 2018.

Planning permission was given for the scheme in 2022, then the government pledged £50m towards the project in 2023.

A planning variation was passed earlier this year to reflect changes to the design from an original concept of two larger domes and a smaller one on the site, to one large dome and a flatter mussel-shaped building next to it.

A design image of the Eden Project Morecambe showing the biomes

Revised plans said the Eden Project Morecambe will include:

A Metronome: Main entrance hall and orientation space containing arrival and visitor reception area

Realm of the Moon: Building containing Tidal Theatre, restaurant, retail and staff facilities

Tidal Theatre: Theatrical 'black box' experiential zone that brings to life rhythms of Morecambe Bay

Realm of the Sun: Horticultural exhibition space containing an immersive indoor landscape

Elder Tree: Large scale sculptural and experiential element within Realm of the Sun

Concept art of The Elder Tree at the Eden Project Morecambe

All Seasons Garden: An outdoor, flexible open, garden space which connects to the Realm of the Sun

Community 'Bring Me Sunshine' Garden: Main area of public realm located between the main venue and Marine Road

And Central Rhythm Gardens: An outdoor, flexible open space with a landscaped arena to host concerts and activities.

The Eden Project said the attraction will be "an immersive visitor destination celebrating the natural rhythms, ecology and heritage of Morecambe Bay" that "will transform the central promenade into a vibrant, year-round destination, featuring striking shell-inspired structures housing immersive environments exploring humanity’s relationship with the natural world".

Once complete, the project is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and to support more than 1,000 jobs across construction and the wider regional economy.

Eden Project Morecambe is being delivered, on the former Dome and Bubbles site and surrounding central Promenade area, by the Eden Project – the globally recognised educational charity, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – working in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University, with the support of UK Government investment.