A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a structure, consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger gondolas attached to the rim.

The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The term Ferris wheel later came to be used generically for all such structures.

The Festival of Lights (French: Fête des lumières) in Lyon, France expresses gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus on December 8 of each year.^{[citation needed]} This uniquely Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets. The festival, which includes other activities based on light, usually lasts 4 days, with the peak of activity occurring on the 8th. The two main focal points of activity are typically the Basilica of Fourvière which is lit up in different colours, and the Place des Terreaux, which hosts a different light show each year.^{[citation needed]}

The Place Bellecour is a large town square in Lyon, France, to the north of the Ainay district. Measuring 312 m by 200 m (62,000 m²), it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe, and the third biggest square of France, behind the place des Quinconces in Bordeaux (126,000 m²) et the place de la Concorde in Paris (86,400 m²). It is also the largest pedestrian square of Europe, the places mentioned above can accommodate vehicles, as opposed to the Place Bellecour.

In the middle is a statue of king Louis XIV mounted on a horse, made by François-Frédéric Lemot in 1825. Another statue, representing the Petit Prince and Antoine de Saint-Exupery, is located at the west end of the square.

Two pavilions are also on the square. The first houses the tourist information office of Lyon, the second an art gallery.

The square belongs to the zone classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.