UKREiiF confirms Leeds swansong in 2027

The UK's largest real estate and infrastructure event will stage its sixth and final Leeds edition at the Royal Armouries from 18–20 May 2027, before moving to Liverpool from 2028.

UKREiiF (The UK's Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum) has today announced its intention to move to a new city from 2028.

Since launching in 2022, the event has called Leeds home and grown into a major forum, bringing together more than 17,000 delegates from government, investment, development, local authorities and the wider built environment to drive investment, regeneration and economic growth.

The Yorkshire-based business has seen several major investments sourced at the event with estimates that over £4 billion of investment and projects are in the pipeline or being actively delivered as a direct result of UKREiiF.

Nathan Spencer, co-founding director and managing director of UKREiiF, said: "This isn't a story about leaving Leeds; it's a story about celebrating everything that Leeds and West Yorkshire has helped UKREiiF become – without the region and the people within it the event wouldn’t have been as successful."

"When we launched UKREiiF, we wanted to create an event that challenged convention and put collaboration, investment and opportunity at the heart of the UK's built environment. Leeds gave us the platform, the confidence and the partnership to do exactly that. That legacy will always belong to Leeds and West Yorkshire, and we’ll continue to be based here with the region holding such a brilliant talent pool that will help us continue our growth – both within the UK and overseas, which starts with our first event in Australia in 2027.”

Cllr James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: "UKREiiF's presence in our city has been a resounding success story, delivering significant economic benefits of around £75 million for the economy and raising our profile on a national and international stage. We are immensely proud to have played a part in its remarkable growth, from a local startup founded here in Leeds to its current position as the largest property and investor conference in the UK.

"Working alongside the UKREiiF team has been a true partnership and pleasure. Seeing the Royal Armouries transformed each May and welcoming thousands of delegates from across the UK and the world has been a privilege. It's great to see the conference staying in the North, and we look forward to working with other cities to continue to press the case for investment and growth across our regions.”

"UKREiiF has helped to prove the unique ability of conferencing here in Leeds, with many more larger scale conferences committing to Leeds as a result, and we are excited to now work together with the Royal Armouries towards accelerating the vision for the next generation conference and exhibition centre which will see a significant upgrade in capacity and visitor experience over the next few years."

Nat Edwards, director general and Master of the Armouries, where the event has been held since inception in 2022, said: "It has been a privilege to host UKREiiF here at the Royal Armouries for six remarkable years. What began as a bold new addition to the UK's events calendar has grown into one of the most influential forums in the country, and we are proud of the role our venue and our team have played in that story. The economic impact for Leeds and the region has been significant, and UKREiiF has helped demonstrate the genuine potential of this waterfront campus as a destination for events of the very highest calibre. We wish UKREiiF every success in its next chapter and also look forward with enormous excitement to our own. The Royal Armouries Waterfront project will create a world-class venue that will attract the next generation of major events to Leeds for decades to come."

Matt Christie, co-founding director and director of external affairs at UKREiiF, said: “We’re enormously grateful to the whole West Yorkshire community and would like to thank them for their support in making UKREiiF into what it has become. I’d also like to look forward and mention our next host destination – Liverpool – which will take the reins from 2028. The proposition we’ve created alongside them is excellent and will keep the Festivalisation and vibe which makes UKREiiF what it is, and we look forward to showcasing what we’re set to bring to Liverpool over the coming months.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: “We have loved having UKREiiF in Leeds, it was born here, and I hope it comes back home soon.

“We have proven that we are the best place in the UK to start and grow a business, and it has been great to welcome people from across the country to strike investment deals, while showing what our great city and region has to offer.

“I am proud that we have nurtured this internationally significant event that is now offered to the country, and to the world, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves.”

Ben Campbell, venue director at the Royal Armouries, said: "We greatly enjoyed working with the team and hosting all the UKREiiF delegates at the Royal Armouries and are incredibly proud of its legacy in Leeds. We would like to thank Nathan Spencer, the entire UKREiiF team, Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, our partners across Leeds Dock and the wider business community for their support, collaboration and ambition over the last five years. UKREiiF has been a fantastic example of what can be achieved when public and private sectors come together with a shared vision. We look forward to welcoming UKREiiF back to the Royal Armouries in 2027 for a fitting celebration of its Leeds legacy and wish the team every success in the next chapter of their journey."

UKREiiF will return to Leeds and the Royal Armouries from May 18th to 20th 2027 for a sixth and final edition in the city, before the event moves to the Liverpool Experience Campus (LEX), which has secured the rights to host the event from 2028.

The decision to move to Liverpool aligns with UKREiiF’s strategic direction and continued growth, with the Liverpool Experience Campus offering room for the event to keep expanding and a wide choice of accommodation for delegates as UKREiiF enters its next chapter.