Business Wire

NY-EMPIRE-STATE-REALTY

22.3.2024 04:32:29 CET | Business Wire | Press release

Share
The Empire State Building Unveils Star Wars-Themed Takeover with a Dynamic Light Show, Interactive Fan Experiences, Celebrity Visit, and More

The Empire State Building (ESB), in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm, today unveiled a Star Wars-themed, villains-inspired takeover for fans in New York City that featured a dynamic light show, immersive experiences for visitors, character appearances, and participation from actor Hayden Christensen in a morning lighting ceremony. Fans who visit ESB this month will have the opportunity to immerse themselves into the Star Wars galaxy photo opportunities which feature a range of new Star Wars consumer products through April 29.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240321369670/en/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

The Empire State Building Unveils Star Wars-Themed Takeover with a Dynamic Light Show, Interactive Fan Experiences, Celebrity Visit, and More (Photo: Business Wire)

"We are so pleased to unite Star Wars fans in New York City and throughout the world with this epic trip to a galaxy far, far away….,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory. “This one-of-a-kind takeover at the ‘World’s Most Famous Building’ allows fans to come face to face with pop culture’s most iconic villains in an authentic New York City way.”

Star Wars in Lights

This evening, a dynamic light show that featured fan-favorite scenes of Star Wars villains debuted on the building’s south side façade from 8 p.m. in continued intervals until 11 p.m. The montage was synched to the iconic “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme),” and was streamed simultaneously on iHeartRadio’s Z100 New York radio station and on the iHeartRadio app.

Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen visited the Empire State Building earlier this morning to tour the world-famous Observatory Experience and flip the ceremonial switch ahead of the dynamic light show.

Step into the Scenes

The Empire State Building’s iconic Fifth Avenue Lobby windows now feature special Star Wars-themed artistry that depicts scenes of Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and stormtroopers surrounded by a range of Star Wars merchandise, in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm. The window exhibit will remain on display until April 29.

At the base of the building, visitors can also join Hasbro and Amazon for a Star Wars fan experience on March 21-22 from 1-9 p.m. and on March 23 from 10-8 p.m. The experience highlights the villains of the Star Wars galaxy and features photo opportunities with costumed characters, which include Darth Vader and stormtroopers — as well as photo backdrops that recreate iconic scenes and locations inspired by the films like the opening hallway scene from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Star Destroyer bridge, and Emperor Palpatine’s throne. Guests can also pose in the blister card packaging of a Star Wars Vintage Collection figure. Additionally, attendees will be able to check out the latest Hasbro Black Series helmets or wield their favorite character’s FX Elite or Kyber Core Lightsaber adult and kid collectibles.

To celebrate 25 years of the LEGO® Star Wars collaboration, the Empire State Building features a museum-quality display of life-sized Star Wars villains like six-foot tall brick-built recreations of Darth Vader and Darth Maul on the building’s 80th Floor. Fans also have the chance to pose with a 3D LEGO® Star Wars mural of Luke Skywalker and other fan-favorite characters from the film series. This exclusive LEGO® Star Wars exhibit will remain on display in the Observatory until April 29.

Once they reach the iconic 86th Floor Observatory, fans can pose for a photo with a life-size Darth Vader-themed POP! Figure from Funko with ESB’s unmatched New York City views as a backdrop until April 29. On March 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dairy Farmers of America will treat guests to samples of their new TruMoo Star Wars Blue Milk – inspired by the blue milk that made its first appearance in Star Wars: A New Hope.

“The Empire Strikes Back”

The Empire State Building Observatory will host a movie screening of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the 80th Floor on March 22. Guests who purchase tickets to the exclusive movie night will receive complimentary drinks and snacks to enjoy with the movie and access to the famed 86th and 102nd Floor Observatories. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Empire State Building Observatory recently underwent a $165 million reimagination that included the addition of a dedicated visitor entrance, an immersive museum with nine galleries, brand-new, bespoke Observatory Host uniforms, and a new 102nd Floor Observatory with unmatched views. The reimagined Observatory Experience has been voted the #1 attraction in the U.S. in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best for two consecutive years.

Text CONNECT to 274-16 to receive real-time information about the Empire State Building’s tower lights.

Hi-res imagery and video can be found here. More information about the Empire State Building can be found online.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

About the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, the “World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop culture. The Empire State Building Observatory Experience welcomes millions of visitors each year and was declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, the #1 attraction in the U.S. in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best for two consecutive years, and the #1 New York City attraction in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List.

Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.

Source: Empire State Realty Trust
Category: Observatory

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240321369670/en/

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com
DK

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Rising Global Bullion Market Risks Are Forcing European Investors to Rethink Physical Gold Access3.2.2026 10:35:00 CET | Press release

As volatility reshapes global financial markets, European institutional investors are turning to safe-haven assets. While physical gold remains one of the world's most resilient and attractive store-of-value assets, secure and verifiable access to bullion has become increasingly difficult. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203826775/en/ Illustrative image of physical gold bullion bars. (Photo: AETOSWire) Recent industry developments have placed structural pressure on the gold market. Elevated price levels have heightened concerns around counterfeit bars, fragmented supply chains, and the complexity of cross-border custody. For European institutions operating under strict regulatory oversight, the challenge is no longer whether to allocate to gold — but how to do so safely, transparently, and within established compliance frameworks. To this end, Golden Ark Reserve, operated by Golden Ark General Trading (FZC)

Hyper-Personalization at Scale: Why Brands Must Shift to an Agentic AI Strategy3.2.2026 10:00:00 CET | Press release

As Infobip celebrates 20 years of customer communication innovation, the AI-first company envisions the future of agentic AI Global AI-first cloud communications platform Infobip, celebrating two decades of innovation, predicts an imminent and seismic shift in brand-consumer engagement. Moving away from the current application-to-person (A2P) messaging, Infobip forecasts a widespread shift to an agent-to-person model, eventually leading to a fully autonomous agent-to-agent future by 2030. The Evolution of Engagement Swift AI adoption is driving enterprises toward agentic AI communication models, which drive autonomous customer communications across all touchpoints. This technology enables hyper-personalization across multiple channels, creating highly engaging content tailored to individual needs. Silvio Kutić, Infobip CEO, comments: “How we communicate with brands is constantly evolving. In this new agentic AI world, brands must seize the opportunity to take a holistic approach to com

Corona Cero Unveils Global Roster of Athlete Ambassadors to Champion TIME CERO at Milano Cortina 20263.2.2026 09:00:00 CET | Press release

A First-of-Its-Kind Initiative, In Partnership with International Olympics Committee (IOC), TIME CERO Empowers Athletes to Unwind, Recharge, and Celebrate the Moment Corona Cero Invites Fans to Celebrate Together in Italy with Corona Hotel, Casa Corona, and Other Immersive Activities Corona Cero today unveiled its global roster of brand ambassadors who will champion TIME CERO, the brand’s new initiative created in partnership with the IOC and Athlete365, throughout the Olympic Winter Games. Together, Team Corona Cero will bring the brand’s “For Every Golden Moment” global platform to life, reminding people that meaningful golden moments can happen anytime, anywhere, or in any season. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203205858/en/ Team Corona Cero Central to Corona Cero’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner, TIME CERO is designed to celebrate Olympians and help them relax, stay present, and embrace bala

Generali Deutschland AG Selects Clearwater Analytics to Modernize and Scale Investment Operations Unit-Linked Fund Business3.2.2026 09:00:00 CET | Press release

Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN), the most comprehensive technology platform for investment management, announced today that Generali Deutschland AG has selected CWAN’s investment management platform for its €40 billion unit-linked fund (ULF) life insurance business, unifying processes across four subsidiaries and preparing the group for accelerated growth in one of Europe’s fastest-expanding sectors. The partnership reflects a strategic move ahead of unprecedented market expansion. The global unit-linked insurance market reached $906.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at 10.9% annually through 2032, reaching $2.3 trillion, according to Allied Market Research. This growth trajectory is creating competitive separation between insurers capable of scaling operations and those constrained by fragmented systems across multiple European jurisdictions. Under a multi-year agreement, Generali Deutschland will consolidate portfolio management, order execution, and reconciliation on CWAN

Ares Completes Acquisition of BlueCove to Launch Systematic Credit Strategy3.2.2026 09:00:00 CET | Press release

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) (“Ares”), a leading global alternative investment manager, announced today that it has completed its acquisition of all outstanding shares of BlueCove Limited (“BlueCove”), a London-based systematic fixed-income manager. The integrated BlueCove business will operate as Ares Systematic Credit, the latest strategy within the Ares Credit Group. Ares Systematic Credit offers systematic fixed-income strategies that harness the power of data and technology to deliver differentiated solutions to investors. The strategy leverages proprietary technology to support an evidence-based and data-driven investment process across high-yield, investment grade corporates, convertible bonds, and other liquid credit instruments in a variety of portfolio constructions. These methods seek to systematically access, select, analyze and deploy information to capitalize on market inefficiencies and generate high-quality alpha. Led by Alex Khein, most recently CEO of Blue

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye