The London Eye will light up the South Bank every evening from tonight, with a free Christmas light show running every 15 minutes from dusk until early January.
The 135-metre wheel switched on its festive lights on Thursday evening, unveiling 12,288 brand-new LED lights that have been fitted across the structure. The nightly shows begin in earnest on Saturday, 14 November, and will run through the festive season until Sunday, 3 January.
Anyone walking along the South Bank can watch the display for free, with no ticket needed. The wheel will be lit from dusk each evening, with a short show repeating every quarter of an hour, in bright colours and festive designs above the Thames.
Getting the wheel ready for Christmas took a team of specialists around 1,000 hours. Workers abseiled down the structure to fit and inspect the thousands of new lights ahead of the switch-on.
Ti Onur, head of operations at the London Eye, said: “Getting the London Eye ready for Christmas is no small task. Our team has worked tirelessly to complete a major lighting upgrade, with specialist crews scaling 135 metres above the Thames to install and inspect thousands of new lights ahead of the festive season. We’re excited to unveil the transformation and help bring a little extra sparkle to London’s skyline this Christmas.”
Alongside the light show, the London Eye is launching a series of festive experiences from Saturday. Its Festive Flights will be included with standard admission, offering a Christmas-themed journey with seasonal decorations and narration from Father Christmas.
Families will also be able to book Santa in the Sky experiences on selected dates between 21 November and 24 December. The experience includes festive activities, games and treats before children board the wheel to meet Father Christmas and receive a gift.
Other seasonal offerings include Festive Champagne Flights and a Christmas-themed afternoon tea, for visitors who want to take in the illuminated skyline from above.
The London Eye sits on the South Bank, close to Waterloo station, and the light show can be watched from public areas along the riverside. The display is also visible from the opposite bank of the Thames.
Those planning a festive evening out can also explore the nearby Southbank Centre Winter Market, which is already open for the Christmas season.
The London Eye joins other famous locations across the capital that have already switched on their Christmas lights for 2026, including Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby Street. Londoners looking for more switch-on dates can find them in our guide to the capital’s Christmas lights switch-ons.
The wheel’s festive season is already under way in other ways too. Its Father Christmas experiences, announced last month, have proved popular with families planning a trip to the South Bank in the run-up to Christmas.
For anyone heading down this weekend, the best advice is simple: turn up after dark, find a spot on the South Bank, and look up. The show repeats every 15 minutes, so there is no need to rush for a particular time — and, unusually for a London Christmas attraction, it costs nothing at all.
