20th March 2024, 00:01 GMT: A painting crew abseiled down from the top of the lastminute.com London Eye this week, giving the iconic attraction a sky-high fresh coat of paint ahead of the first official day of spring on Wednesday 20th March.
Positioned high above the capital, the daredevil painters refreshed the iconic attractions spokes at heights of 130M from ground level to the top, to ready the London Eye for the upcoming swell in visitors expected across the long Easter weekend, school holidays and for the high volume of tourists expected to stop over in London ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The full paint refresh, which takes place every three years, requires an estimated 5,000 litres to cover the entirety of the 135M high observation wheel – roughly the equivalent of painting 1,660 cars. Taking a team of eight painters, working five nights a week, for six months, this iconic London landmark requires a staggering 9,360 hours of painting maintenance to look its best.
Ti Onur, Head of Operations at the lastminute.com London Eye, said: “Can you imagine a more picturesque painting location than this – it’s the perfect spot to soar above and soak in the iconic London sights! Our amazing team take to the skies every three years to ensure the lastminute.com London Eye stays sparkling over the capital. And this year even more importantly, to ensure the attraction looks its very best heading into its 25th birthday in 2025.”