A permit to erect a large Ferris wheel - Amsterdam’s answer to the London Eye - on the Oosterdok in the Dutch capital in February has been partially approved by the local water board. The municipality is yet to approve the plans. 

Amsterdam’s very own London Eye 

The plans for the Ferris wheel place it on the quay at the beginning of the IJ tunnel near to the science museum, Nemo. The water board has approved the one-year permit, saying that the wheel will not negatively affect the local water quality. 

Should the municipality also approve the permit, the Ferris wheel will be run by the Vallentgoed family from Egmond, who also operated a Ferris wheel in Egmond aan Zee for a couple of months in 2020. Their plans for the Amsterdam wheel aren’t yet entirely clear, but it is expected to be around 36 metres high.

 The proposed location for the Ferris wheel.

The working title for the Ferris wheel is Eye Amsterdam - referencing both the IJ and the world-famous Ferris wheel in the English capital: the London Eye. Worth noting that, in spite of the similar names, the Dutch wheel will be dwarfed by the 135-metre high London attraction. 

Locals and politicians concerned about the potential attraction

The Amsterdam Socialist Party has voiced concern about the plan, questioning whether local residents will also have a say in the plans - there are approximately 20 houseboats near to where the attraction is set to be built - and whether or not the wheel will be illuminated.

Residents from the area are also worried that if the permit for the Ferris wheel is approved, this will only open the door for other fair-like attractions to be erected too. Local businesses and museums, however, support the idea, and hope to turn the area into a cultural attraction that appeals to locals and tourists alike.