/ A tribute to the “London Eye”, which celebrates this month its 25th anniversary /

It seems incredible, but when it officially opened to the public on 9 March 2000, the “London Eye”, at the time still called “Millennium Wheel,” was intended as a temporary structure, able to be dismantled and transported to a new location and had planning permission for just 5 years. But with millions boarding it every year, its popularity has prompted its lease to be extended. Today it’s a permanent iconic London landmark standing shoulder to shoulder with Big Ben, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral. It’s an internationally recognized symbol of modern London, as well as a source of pride for the whole country.

This month, on the occasion of his 25th birthday, we’ve selected 25 little-known facts about the iconic attraction.

1. The original concept for “London Eye” started as an entry to The Millennial Competition in 1993, organized by the Architecture Foundation with the Sunday Times. It challenged people to come up with a landmark to celebrate the Millennium. Although no one won, the architect duo Julia Barfield and David Marks believed in their idea and made it a reality in the year 2000.

2. The “London Eye” was originally built to stand on the banks of the Thames for around 5 years. In July 2002, it was granted a permanent license and in 2024 it became a permanent structure.

3. In the same year that the “London Eye” was erected, Coldplay released their debut album, the “Nokia 310” became the best-selling phone of the year, shiny pants and chunky shoes were in fashion, and people became obsessed with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

4. The world was enjoying All Saints’ chart-topping hits “Black Coffee” and “Pure Shores” and in many countries (such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Italy) TV viewers were watching Big Brother for the first time ever.

5. The creation of the “London Eye” inspired the construction of 34 similar observation wheels around the world including the “Singapore Flyer.”

6. On 9th March 2000, the “London Eye” officially opened to the public. Since then, over 85 million people have journeyed across London’s skyline on it.

7. The attraction is a must-visit destination amongst visitors from all over the world, with Americans leading the international charts with 1 in 10 guests visiting from across the pond last year.

8. Each rotation lasts approximately 30 minutes, meaning that a capsule travels at a stately 26cm per second, or 0.9km per hour – twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting; this slow rate of rotation allows passengers to step on and off without the wheel having to stop.

9. The “London Eye” has 32 capsules in total, one for each of the London boroughs. For superstitious reasons, they are numbered 1 to 33, with capsule 13 left out for good luck.

10. Originally, the structure was designed to stand 152,4m (500 feet) tall and have 60 capsules, representing 60 minutes but was redesigned due to planning and cost considerations.

11. The “London Eye” is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel (that is a wheel that has been mounted with only one point of support) at 135 metres high. That’s 64 red telephone boxes stacked on top of each other.

12. The Eiffel Tower is approximately 2.44 times the height of the “London Eye”, while the Empire State Building is about 2.82 times taller. Compared to its international friends, the “London Eye” may be shorter, but it still offers some of the most stunning views in the world.

13. The “London Eye” can carry 800 passengers per rotation, equivalent to 11 London red double decker busloads.

14. The “London Eye” weighs 2,100 tonnes – that’s as heavy as 1,272 black cabs.

15. The spindle in the middle of the wheel weighs 350 tonnes – that’s 3 times as heavy as a blue whale.

16. The “London Eye” receives” a full paint refresh every 3 years and requires an estimated 5,000 litres to cover the entirety of the structure – that’s roughly the 40,000 litres of paint used over the last 25 years.

17. The “London Eye” is 100% fuelled by renewable energy and has 100% LED lighting which, when installed reduced electricity consumption (and associated greenhouse gas emissions) by 69%.

18. The “London Eye” often marks moments of celebration or remembrance for Londoners. Over the years, hundreds of light-ups have taken place to celebrate cultural events such as Pride, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, Chanukah, and more.

19. On a clear day, you can see around 40km from the top of the “London Eye” – as far as Windsor Castle, where Kings Charles and Queen Camilla tied the knot.

20. Over 8,000 proposals have taken place high above the city on the iconic “London Eye.”

21. Only 11 people have stood atop the Eye in the past 25 years including Geoff Hurst and Mo Farah.

22. Britain’s most decorated Olympic couple, Laura and Jason Kenny, made history by becoming the first duo to stand atop the “London Eye” at the same time as they wished a “Wheelie Good Luck” to British athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games.

23. The “London Eye” has only rotated backward twice in history, once in 2019 and again in 2024, to mark the end of British Summer Time.

24. Thousands of celebrities have visited the “London Eye” including like Kim Kardashian, Kate Moss, Hugh Jackman, and royal favourites Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate.

25. The “London Eye” has been featured in hundreds of movies and TV shows including Mission Impossible, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Doctor Who, Paddington 3 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

In celebration of the 25 years, a short film “Turning 25: London’s Eye” was released on 6th March  and is now available to watch on “London Eye”’s YouTube channel. It is a love letter to London, following the evolution of the city and the “London Eye” alike across the last quarter of a century. 

Continue reading Games & Parks Industry March 2025, page 34

Photos Courtesy: London Eye

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