Move over Little Mermaid, a massive 50 metre-high Ferris wheel could mark the beginning of a new iconic era in Denmark’s capital city. The Ferris wheel, which is the largest in Scandinavia, is presently residing on Axeltorv Square for three months this summer. But what apparently makes the attraction so intriguing is that it shows City Hall is now welcoming flashy events and businesses with open arms, the city council says.
Hugo Praestegaard, one of Copenhagen’s area managers, feels the Ferris wheel is a sign of just how easy it has become to get permission to hold special events in the capital. “Three or four years ago it was more difficult to get things approved,” he said to the Copenhagen Post. “It has taken time to change things, but we’ve succeeded.”
The summer attraction was set up by Great City Attractions, based in London. The public hearings that preceded the approval of the temporary Ferris wheel saw remarkably few objections. But talk is already swilling around about making the Ferris wheel a permanent feature of the Copenhagen cityscape.
Praestegaard acknowledges that a permanent attraction like this would not pass local scrutiny so easily. A new location for the wheel would certainly have to be found, as local Axeltorv residents will probably be weary of the thing after three months. But it certainly shows the city’s new open-minded approach to luring events and attractions both big and small.