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

Europe Launches Euro-Q-Exa Quantum Computer in Germany, Strengthening Sovereign Digital Infrastructure12.2.2026 21:15:00 CET | Press release

Euro-Q-Exa will serve the scientific community and industry across Germany and Europe, enabling hands-on quantum research and application development within Europe’s HPC ecosystem. Installed, hosted, and operated at Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ), ensuring local control, operational expertise, and long-term capability building. Developed by IQM Quantum Computers using its Radiance platform, designed to enable institutions to build, operate, and evolve their own quantum capability. Engineered for deep integration with high-performance computing, supporting scalable hybrid quantum–HPC workflows. Co-funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), and the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts (StWK). Euro-Q-Exa, the first EuroHPC Joint Undertaking quantum computer deployed in Germany, has been unveiled at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) in Garching, Munich. This press release features multimedia. View th

Sindre Zeiner-Gundersen Joins Joi Scientific12.2.2026 20:00:00 CET | Press release

Joi Scientific is pleased to welcome Sindre Zeiner-Gundersen as the company’s Advanced Plasma & Resonant Energy Physicist. Sindre will lead Joi’s scientific activities including all aspects of Joi’s science program. Sindre is a quantum physics expert who previously served as CEO/President of Nornec AS, a Norwegian consulting and engineering services company. Nornec has been a consultant to Joi since 2024. At Nornec, Sindre provided consulting and R&D services in the areas of advanced nuclear reactor simulations, process and plant optimization, carbon capture optimization, materials selection and radiation effects, custom reactor design, muon and neutron detector systems, muon and catalyzed fusion and Hydrogen Rydberg Matter research. An applied physicist with end‑to‑end expertise in energy‑carrier gases - ammonia, methanol, hydrogen - as well as a radiation instrumentation specialist with experience in process and equipment design across the ammonia/hydrogen value chain, Sindre has aut

Angelalign Technology Inc. (6699.HK) Says a Preliminary European Court Ruling on Certain Software Features Will Have Minimal Impact on Users12.2.2026 17:58:00 CET | Press release

Angelalign Technology Inc. (6699.HK) (“Angel”) said a ruling by the Unified Patent Court of Düsseldorf, Germany that it preliminarily cease its use of certain software functions that automatically update treatment plans would have minimal impact on the orthodontists and patients who use its clear aligner products. The ruling applies to certain European countries and excludes Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ireland. Angel will launch iPlan for applicable European users, which is an upgrade feature that has the same reliability and more flexibility for users. Angel denies that the Live Now feature in its iOrtho treatment planning software infringes any valid patents of Align Technology Inc. (ALGN). Angel has already filed an opposition against the patent with the European Patent Office (EPO), arguing that the claimed invention is neither novel nor inventive over the prior art, and is seeking its permanent invalidation. Angel is confident it will overcome the first-instance, non-fi

Model ML Buys Captide to Give Financial AI Agents Citable Corporate Disclosure Data12.2.2026 17:43:00 CET | Press release

Deal follows AI workflow company’s $75m fundraise - one of the largest fintech Series As in history Model ML today announced the acquisition of Captide, the leading financial data layer that turns complex global corporate filings and disclosures into LLM-ready documents and data for AI agents. The acquisition, just weeks after the fintech raised $75m in funding from leading US and UK investors, expands Model ML’s AI workflow builder, enabling its AI agents to reliably retrieve, reason over, and cite global filings. Earlier in 2025, Model ML bought Flippr which added automated PowerPoint generation and verification agents to the platform. Founded in 2024 by Maurits Brinkman and Miquel Trafí Ruiz, Captide’s API takes SEC filings, earnings calls and more and structures them in a way AI models can easily and accurately understand at scale. Its platform already spans 2.5 million+ documents and supports 1 billion embeddings. By bringing Captide into Model ML, clients – including Big 4 accoun

i2c Named Finalist for Best Security or Anti-Fraud Development at Card & Payments Awards Middle East 202612.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release

i2c’s AI-driven Fraud Risk Management solution recognized for delivering impactful results for Middle East clients i2c Inc., a global financial technology innovator, has been named a finalist in the Best Security or Anti-Fraud Development category at The Card & Payments Awards Middle East 2026. The region’s premier awards program recognizes organizations that deliver practical, high-impact innovations to strengthen payment security and protect customers in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital payments markets. i2c was recognized for its AI-driven Fraud Risk Management solution, embedded directly within its unified banking and payments platform and operating in real time at the point of transaction authorization—an increasingly critical capability as digital payments scale across Middle East markets. By evaluating risk at the moment a payment is initiated, rather than after funds are approved, the solution enables earlier detection of fraudulent activity while preserving approval

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