Overlooking the River Mersey from Keel Wharf, the Wheel of Liverpool is a transportable Ferris wheel that has become one of the most visible structures on the Liverpool waterfront. Rising 196 feet (60 metres) tall and weighing 365 tonnes, it carries 42 fully enclosed capsules and sits close to the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool. Construction was completed on 11 February 2010 at a cost of £6 million, and the wheel formally opened on 25 March 2010 with its own launch party.
Planning and early history
The road to opening was a long one. The company Great City Attractions had been negotiating a deal for three years before submitting a planning application in October 2009, proposing the wheel for the former King’s Dock site. The application argued it would boost tourism and complement the city’s skyline, and it received backing from the Albert Dock Tenants’ Business Association. Permission was initially granted for twelve months, later extended to two years. A smaller, temporary observation wheel had previously operated at the Liverpool One shopping complex – that structure closed on 31 January 2010, partly because the city council had always considered it a placeholder while plans for the permanent Wheel of Liverpool were pursued. An earlier attempt in 2005 by the Liverpool Culture Company to place a wheel at Canning Half Tide Dock had come to nothing. Installation of the current wheel began almost immediately after the Liverpool One wheel came down.
Ownership changes and refurbishment
The wheel’s operational history has had its turbulent moments. Following Great City Attractions going into administration, the attraction closed briefly before Freij Entertainment International purchased it. It is now operated through their subsidiary Wheels Entertainments Ltd. In November 2020, the wheel was dismantled without prior warning, which later turned out to be a planned refurbishment carried out in the Netherlands. It was rebuilt in spring 2021 and reopened in summer 2021. One notable moment in its history came in October 2013, when the structure was struck by lightning but suffered no damage. In its first year of operation the wheel also hosted a 24-hour charity event in which participants remained inside the pods throughout the ride.