ALL EYE-BOARD! FIRST CAPSULE FROM THE LONDON EYE FLOATS DOWN THE THAMES FOR RENOVATION WORKS
- Thursday October 23rd 2025
- London Eye, Renovation
The first stage of an extensive upgrade to The London Eye took place today/last night with the removal of the first of the London Eye’s 32 capsules. The 10-tonne capsule was carefully taken down from the world famous, 440ft-high attraction and floated down the River Thames on a barge.
With 2025 marking 25 years since The London Eye opened, today marks the start of an exciting modernising project in conjunction with Merlin Magic Making’s experts, which will see each of the 32 iconic capsules upgraded with the latest technology, safety features, and visitor comfort enhancements.
The last renewal programme began in 2009 and was completed in 2012, just in time for the London Olympics, where over £12M was invested ahead of guests visiting the capital. As a multiphase refurbishment programme, and in parallel to the previous capsule exchange duration, it’s predicted that the current project will be completed by early 2029.
With the first capsule successfully detached, a temporary cage - which cannot be occupied - has been installed in its place. The cage will remain in situ whilst the original capsule undergoes renovation works at the UK Loco workshop before being reinstalled back on The London Eye.
Robin Goodchild, Senior General Manager of The London Eye said: “In line with the planning permission for The London Eye, we pledged to futurise and invest in upgrading London’s most iconic skyline attraction.. It’s a momentous milestone to see the first capsule removed by our highly skilled team, as we continue the celebrating our 25th anniversary year. The Eye may look a little different to usual, whilst the renovation works are underway, but it’ll keep on rotating and welcoming guests to view London from 135M above.”
Stuart Watson Director at UK Loco said: “It’s not every day that you see a capsule from Britain’s most recognisable attraction come floating down The Thames on its way to your workshop! We’ve been eagerly awaiting the first capsule’s arrival so our team can get cracking with the renovation works.”
FAQs
We are currently carrying out renovation works on the London Eye. One of the capsules has been temporarily removed to make way for a specially designed cage as part of our improvement programme.
The cage will be used to support essential maintenance and testing work, helping us keep the London Eye safe, reliable, and ready for visitors.
The cage will be in place for a limited period while we complete the renovation work. We’ll share updates once the capsule is scheduled to return.
No, the ride experience remains the same. The London Eye continues to operate safely and smoothly, and guests can still enjoy the full journey and views of London.
Yes, absolutely. The London Eye has been carefully designed so that the temporary removal of a pod does not affect its safety or balance.
We want to keep the London Eye accessible for our visitors as much as possible. Our engineers are able to carry out this work safely while the attraction remains open.
The London Eye will continue to operate at almost full capacity. Any impact on waiting times will be minimal, and we will manage queues as usual.
No, the cage is for operational and technical purposes only. It is not open to the public.
The capsule will be reinstalled once renovation work is complete. We’ll share announcements and updates with visitors ahead of time.
Yes, this work is part of a wider programme of improvements. We’re committed to keeping the London Eye in top condition and ensuring our visitors continue to have a world-class experience.
