Roue de Paris

The Roue de Paris is a 60-metre-tall (200 ft) transportable Ferris wheel that was originally installed in Paris, France, for the 2000 millennium celebrations. It weighs 365 tonnes and does not require permanent foundations; instead, it uses 40 tonnes of water ballast for stability. The wheel can be erected in 72 hours and dismantled in 60 hours by a specialist team. Transporting it requires seven 20-foot container lorries, ten open trailer lorries, and one closed trailer lorry.

The Ferris wheel has forty-two gondolas that can be loaded either three or six at a time, each accommodating eight passengers. Since leaving Paris in 2002, the Roue de Paris has been relocated to various global locations. Notable installations include Birmingham, England (2003–2004), Manchester, England (Exchange Square, 2004), Amsterdam, Netherlands (2005), Bangkok, Thailand (Suan Lum Night Bazaar, 2006–2007), Antwerp, Belgium (2008), Rimini, Italy (2013), and Ghent, Belgium (during Christmas and New Year in both 2015 and 2016). It was also installed in Cologne, Germany, from March to June 2022, before returning to Paris, France, for a summer installation in 2023.