# Melbourne Star spins again after five years dark

> The troubled observation wheel reopens under new operators, but Docklands struggles to find its footing.
- Title: Melbourne Star spins again after five years dark | Shortify
- Summary: The troubled observation wheel reopens under new operators, but Docklands struggles to find its footing. The Melbourne Star observation wheel has reopened…
- Keywords: melbourne star, docklands, observation wheel, skyline attractions, melbourne, victoria, news, politics, Star, spins, again, five
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/16/melbourne-star-observation-wheel-reopens-5-years-after-covid-closure
- Published: 2026-10-16T01:37:11+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: melbourne star, docklands, observation wheel, skyline attractions, melbourne, victoria, news, politics
## A wheel with a troubled past
The Melbourne Star observation wheel closed in September twenty twenty-one due to Covid-19. Before that it suffered software glitches, loose bolts, cracked steel, tilted pods, injured workers and stranded passengers.

> It was always going to have its ups and downs, but the Melbourne Star seemed particularly heavy on the downs.
## Five years of silence end
After almost two thousand days closed, the Melbourne Star has reopened. On its first night back, hundreds of people queued to ride the wheel, suggesting renewed public interest in the attraction.

> Hundreds and hundreds of people. A loud, long, snaking line of people. All queueing for the Melbourne Star.
## New operators take the helm
Jay and Jane Jones of Skyline Attractions now operate the wheel. The couple met at the Royal Melbourne Show in two thousand seven, where Jay ran carnival rides and Jane worked in marketing.
## Safety upgrades and new lights
Fire systems have been brought into compliance. A lighting upgrade operating since July transformed the wheel from what was once described as a bike wheel with glow sticks into a dazzling light show.
## The ride itself
The thirty-minute journey in a Star Class VIP cabin includes a gold-trimmed bar serving unlimited drinks. The experience is like a prolonged awkward elevator ride with more to look at than just your shoes.

> The experience is like a prolonged awkward elevator ride but with more to look at while avoiding eye contact than just your shoes.
## Melbourne's skyline unchanged
The city skyline has not changed much since the wheel last turned.A planned tower called STH BNK went into administration last year.
## Docklands loses major tenant
Costco, the second-best star attraction in Docklands, left for Ardeer. Melbourne Pathology has bought the site, a move that will draw blood, not crowds, according to the article.
## Structural decay threatens precinct
In two thousand nineteen, deteriorating footings at the one hundred year old Central Pier forced diners to flee with fifteen minutes warning.It was demolished in two thousand twenty-five.
## Some signs of life return
In June, series tickets for the Australian Ice Hockey League Finals sold out within fifteen minutes at O'Brien Icehouse.
## The wheel of fortune spins on
The Melbourne Star's reopening echoes the ancient Rota Fortunae, the Wheel of Fortune, which symbolises the fickle nature of fate.As the wheel inches forward again, it may bring renewal or more misfortune.

> Perhaps the Star brings with it the possibility of renewal.
## Key takeaway

The Melbourne Star observation wheel has reopened after closing in September twenty twenty-one, but the Docklands precinct it anchors faces ongoing structural and economic challenges.