The Pacific Wheel will light up in Lakers purple and gold on Monday, Aug. 24, beaming "LA 8" and "LA 24" across the Santa Monica coastline to mark Kobe Bryant Day.
The 90-foot Ferris wheel's 174,000 LED lights will display the tribute from sunset until midnight, Santa Monica Mirror reporter Carlos Reyes reported Sunday. The numbers reference the two jerseys Bryant wore across his 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers: No. 8 from his rookie year through 2006, and No. 24 from 2006 until his retirement in 2016.
The date itself carries the tribute: 8/24.
Los Angeles observes Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day. Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. He was 41.
A post in a Santa Monica Pier Facebook group said Pacific Park would join other L.A.-area landmarks in lighting purple and gold for the evening, though the park has not issued an official statement confirming a coordinated effort.
The display is visible from the beach and bluff without a ticket or park admission. Sunset Monday falls around 7:29 p.m., according to Griffith Observatory data, so the wheel should begin its cycle shortly after. Anyone walking the Pier, Palisades Park or the bike path between sunset and midnight will have a clear sightline.
Pacific Park, the amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier, operates the wheel year-round. The LED system, which contains 174,000 individual lights, is programmable for custom displays and has been used for holidays, awareness campaigns and sports celebrations in the past.
Residents heading to the Pier Monday evening can view the tribute from any public vantage point along the coast.
Upcoming community events in Santa Monica:
- Monday, Aug. 24 — Pacific Wheel Kobe Bryant Day lighting, sunset to midnight, Santa Monica Pier.
- Thursday, Aug. 27 — Blood Moon lunar eclipse; SMC Planetarium has been offering prep sessions ahead of the event.
- Saturday mornings — Downtown Santa Monica Farmers Market, Arizona Avenue and 2nd Street.
