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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
William Mata

Leap Day babies can ride the London Eye for free on February 29

Being born on February 29 means you only get one birthday every four years, but thankfully it does have at least one perk.

Anyone born on the date - which only comes around every leap year - is being offered a free ride on the London Eye on their birthday. 

The ONS reports that 1,788 people are born on February 29, on average, compared to 1,422 on Christmas Day and 1,359 on Boxing Day

It means five million people worldwide are born on the unusual date and lastminute.com, which sponsors the attraction, is offering the first 100 to register the chance.

For the Gregorian calendar to work, there are 365 days every three years and the fourth year has 366. February 29 is always the day when the extra day will fall. 

To get a free ride, you will need to come down to the London Eye ticket hall on the South Bank and provide official proof of your date of birth (passports and driving licences are fine).

It generally costs £30-£40 for an adult to ride the attraction, which makes this a hefty saving if you are one of the lucky few. 

But if you are looking to go with friends, then it might save money to book online in advance even if your ride will be free. 

February 29 comes around on a Thursday in 2024 and the offer is valid for the whole day - for one trip around the Eye to mark another lap around the Sun. 

The London Eye seen from the London Eye (lastminute.com)

Imran Tauqir, general manager at the lastminute.com London Eye, said: “We wanted to do something special for the five million people worldwide who were born on the 29th of February and offer them the chance to celebrate their quadrennial birthday in true London style – with a trip around the iconic London Eye.

“We invite all those born on this lucky day to come down and experience the best view of the city while soaring about the Thames.”

For more information on ticketing and pricing, visit www.londoneye.com/tickets-and-prices

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