i360 stranded sky high - with sky-high debts

Less than 10 years since a mirrored doughnut carried its first passengers high into the sky, the infamous i360 has become stranded there. The 162-meter observation tower opened in 2016 as a bold, futuristic addition to Brighton’s seafront. Designed by the creators of the London Eye, it promised stunning views from its observation car (the doughnut on a stick!), and a boost to local tourism. However, the project quickly ran into trouble, plagued by technical issues, long queues, and underwhelming visitor numbers. 

A click on the company’s website now provides no more than a brief stark announcement: ‘Steve Absolom and Will Wright were appointed Joint Administrators of Brighton I-360 Limited - in Administration (the ‘Company’) on 20 December 2024 and as a result the Company has ceased trading immediately. Please direct all queries to Brightoni360@interpath.com.’

The structure, reportedly, cost £46m, partly paid for with a whopping £36m loan from the Public Works Loan Board via Brighton & Hove City Council. The then council leader, Simon Burgess, predicted the facility would ‘transform the city’ and generate significant revenue. For its first five years it was glamorously sponsored by British Airways, but early technical faults and financial difficulties seemed to bode less than well. 

In December 2022, the attraction defaulted on its council debt, and in November 2024, Brighton i360 Ltd filed for administration - citing (rather lamely don’t you think) rising costs, unfavourable weather, and the cost-of-living crisis. On 20 December, it closed abruptly, with all 100 plus employees made redundant. Brighton & Hove City Council announced an inquiry into the closure, and it revealed that the owners owed the council a staggering £51 million. The council, which pays £2.2 million annually for the loan until 2040, faces significant financial repercussions. Deputy leader Jacob Taylor described the investment as having been ‘a financial disaster for the council.’

And a long-term eyesore to boot. It seems I was calling the i360 an eyesore before it was even completed. Here’s an entry from my diary, a few weeks before the opening.

20 July 2016

‘The i360 is soon to open, I read in the ‘Argus’, and tickets have gone on sale for the 20 minute ‘flight’. It’s owned or operated by British Airways, and has some slick advertising and promotion, but I take exception to the idea that it’s a vertical ‘pier’, and that where Victorians walked out above the sea, we can now walk on air. That might have some truth if the floor were glass and transparent, but I’m pretty sure it’s not. The pod can hold up to 200 people - that wouldn’t be much fun would it. And £13.50-15 for an adult ticket! For 20 minutes entertainment, and nothing more than a view. A) piers were never that expensive, and B) there was no time limit, and C) most piers had/have different kinds of entertainment, things to see/do. Pah! is all I can say. And I’ve come to see the tall column, with its teeny-weeny pod when seen from afar, as a bit of an eyesore.’

In 2015, during construction of the i360, there was some very colorful wall art on the surrounding fencing. I photographed it for my blog Graffiti Brighton. Here’s a sample.