London Eye starts Christmas programme on 14 November

The London Eye begins its Christmas programme on 14 November 2026 in London, bringing decorated pods, seasonal flights and a daily light show to the riverside attraction. The operator’s programme runs until 3 January 2027 and includes selected dates for Santa in the Sky.

Christmas at the London Eye starts on 14 November

The programme is scheduled from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Festive Flights will use decorated pods and include Christmas stories narrated during the ride, while the operator says the experience will be included with all London Eye tickets during the programme period.

The wider offer also includes Santa in the Sky on selected dates from 21 November to 24 December 2026. The family experience begins with festive crafts, games and sweet treats before visitors board a pod to meet Santa during the flight. The operator also lists a festive Champagne Flight and a festive afternoon tea for the same Christmas period. Christmas programme dates are published on the attraction’s official page.

A separate daily light show is scheduled to begin on 14 November 2026. The operator says the display will illuminate the wheel after nightfall, giving the Christmas programme a visible element around the South Bank as well as inside the capsules.

How the festive programme uses the riverside wheel

The seasonal activities connect the date of the programme with the structure’s main visitor spaces. Festive Flights take place in the enclosed passenger capsules, while the light show uses the wheel itself as a display surface above the River Thames.

The attraction was conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects and is operated by London Eye Management Services Limited as agent for Merlin Entertainments South Bank and Dungeons Ltd. Its position beside the Thames allows the decorated capsules to frame views towards Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, all named by the operator in its programme. official history and facts record the wheel’s main dimensions and opening date.

The wheel opened to the public in March 2000

The wheel rises 135 metres above the Thames and has a diameter of 120 metres. It contains 32 passenger capsules, and the operator says it opened to the public in March 2000 after beginning as a temporary Millennium Wheel for the year 2000.

Those details give the 2026 programme a clear physical setting: the light show will be seen on a permanent landmark, while the Christmas flights will take place in capsules designed for views across central London. The operator’s account places the attraction on the South Bank and identifies Marks Barfield Architects as its designers.

Visiting London Eye: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Christmas at the London Eye runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with the first Festive Flights and daily light show scheduled for 14 November.
• Visitors can find decorated pods and the light display during the programme, while Santa in the Sky is available only on selected dates from 21 November to 24 December 2026.
• The attraction stands on the South Bank of the River Thames beside Westminster Bridge Road, with Waterloo and Westminster the nearest Underground stations.
• The wheel rises 135 metres and its 32 enclosed capsules provide the visitor setting for the seasonal flights.

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Frequently asked questions about London Eye

When does Christmas at the London Eye take place?

The programme begins on 14 November 2026 and runs until 3 January 2027. Santa in the Sky is scheduled on selected dates from 21 November to 24 December 2026.

What is the London Eye?

It is a cantilevered observation wheel on London’s South Bank that rises 135 metres above the River Thames. It opened to the public in March 2000.

Where is the London Eye and how do you get there?

The attraction is beside Westminster Bridge Road on the South Bank of the Thames. Waterloo and Westminster are the nearest Underground stations.