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

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

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 more than £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.”

UKREiiF will return to Leeds and the Royal Armouries in May 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.

Image: UKREiiF