Rio Star, Ferris wheel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio Star is a ferris wheel standing 88 meters tall with multiple climate-controlled cabins that provide views across the city and surrounding landscape. Each cabin rotates slowly to allow visitors to see all directions during their time in the air.
The wheel opened in 2019 and was the largest observation wheel in Latin America at that time. Its construction brought a new attraction to the city's waterfront and added to Rio de Janeiro's modern entertainment options.
The view from the cabins shows how the city sits between mountains and beaches, with neighborhoods and landmarks spread across the landscape below. This perspective reveals how Rio de Janeiro's natural geography shapes where people live and work.
The wheel stands beside AquaRio on the Orla Conde in Santo Cristo, in Rio's port zone. Its 54 air-conditioned cabins each hold up to eight passengers and 600 kilograms, and the doors are wide enough for a wheelchair. Each cabin has three external locks and a radio for emergencies.
The wheel has 54 air-conditioned cabins, each holding up to eight passengers and 600 kilograms, with three external locks and doors wide enough for a wheelchair. A radio system links each cabin to staff in emergencies. From 2019 until November 2022 it was the tallest wheel in Latin America, at 88 metres, until São Paulo's 91-metre Roda Rico opened.
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