Business Wire

NY-EMPIRE-STATE-REALTY

16.6.2024 20:42:34 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
A Spectacle in NYC: Empire State Building Debuts 270-Foot Vhagar the Dragon Coiled Around the Building’s Mast, in Partnership with Max

A 270-foot-long dragon has landed in the center of New York City – atop the iconic Empire State Building (ESB). In partnership with Max, ESB has acknowledged that Vhagar the Dragon has coiled herself around its mast just as ESB and Max cap off their weeklong “House of the Dragon” takeover.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240616631517/en/

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

Empire State Building Debuts 270-Foot Vhagar the Dragon Coiled Around the Building’s Mast, in Partnership with Max (Photo: Business Wire)

The best views of Vhagar are in Manhattan from the south of ESB, and unique selfie moments are available from ESB itself where she scans for prey with her huge head extended over the southern deck of ESB’s 86th Floor Observatory. ESB’s lights have been set so fans can witness a series of dynamic light shows which feature the dragon against schemes of gold, green, and red.

“Just after the Empire State Building pledged its allegiance to the King, Vhagar descended upon the heart of New York City and has claimed the mast of the ‘World’s Most Famous Building’ as her perch,” said ESRT Chairman and CEO Tony Malkin. “Citizens of Westeros can now sit in the Iron Throne at the Observatory’s grand staircase and then rise to the 86th Floor to face the colossal beast up close as they take in the unmatched, 360-degree views from our world-famous Observatory – Tripadvisor’s #1 attraction in the United States.”

Affixed by more than 153 rigging points, Vhagar is made up of 1,700 total patterns and 600,000 inches of sewn seams. The giant dragon was created in partnership with creative agency Giant Spoon and fabricated by Bigger Than Life Advertising Inc. The company’s President Mark Bachman was a manager on the Empire State Building’s King Kong installation in 1983.

The “House of the Dragon” takeover included a photo opportunity with the iconic Iron Throne, a visit from the “House of the Dragon” cast, and an interactive photo booth on the 80th Floor. This partnership with Max is just one of several recent events at the Empire State Building which have garnered global attention, which include partnerships with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 x WhatsApp, Outward Bound, and “Star Wars.”

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.

Tickets to see the dragon at the Empire State Building Observatory can be purchased here. Text CONNECT to 274-16 to receive real-time information about the Empire State Building’s tower lights.

Hi-res imagery and video of all elements of the House of the Dragon takeover can be found here.

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.

About House of the Dragon

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” tells the story of House Targaryen. Co-Creator/Executive Producer George R.R. Martin; Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ryan Condal; Executive Producers Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Vince Gerardis. Season two returning cast includes Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional returning cast includes Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham. New season two cast are Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.

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/20240616631517/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

Around 500 Attend Sino-European ESG Conference in Germany1.7.2026 18:00:00 CEST | Press release

Around 500 government officials, business executives and academics from China and Europe gathered in the western German city of Mainz on Friday for the Third Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference to discuss how deeper cooperation can support sustainable economic growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701255421/en/ Group photo of selected attendees at the conference. Hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt and jointly organized with authorities from Germany and China, the conference brought together participants from China, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg and several other countries under the theme "From Vision to Practice: Empowering Sustainable Growth Through Collaboration." Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), delivered a video address. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Huang Yiyang, Chinese Co

Sinopec Receives CSR Award at Sino-European ESG Conference in Germany1.7.2026 15:38:00 CEST | Press release

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) has received the Corporate Social Responsibility Best Practice Award at the 3rd Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference in Mainz, Germany, for its case study on carbon footprint management and low-carbon development. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701696760/en/ Huang Yiyang (L), Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt, presents the award to a representative of Sinopec. The conference jury said Sinopec has developed a carbon management framework centered on product carbon footprint management, covering the full product life cycle while aligning with both Chinese and European standards. It cited the company’s work with German chemical producer BASF to achieve mutual recognition of carbon footprint accounting methodologies as a milestone that could support greener cooperation across international industrial supply chains. According to the jury, Sinopec’s eff

Vercel and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Announce Multi-Year Strategic Partnership1.7.2026 15:30:00 CEST | Press release

The agentic infrastructure platform known for speed is joining forces with one of the world's fastest Formula One teams Today Vercel, the agentic infrastructure company, announced a new multi-year deal with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Starting with the British Grand Prix July 2 – 5 2026, Vercel branding will appear on the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team race cars as the partnership begins its first chapter, before expanding significantly across the team ecosystem from 2027 onward. The partnership includes global branding rights, premium hospitality experiences, customer engagement, content creation, and technical collaborations, including plans to evolve the team’s digital platforms to Vercel. “Formula One is where every millisecond matters, every decision counts, and continuous innovation is fundamental to success. Vercel shares that same philosophy,” said Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. “The Vercel platform is

OXMIQ Raises $35 Million to Scale OxCore™ Architecture1.7.2026 15:15:00 CEST | Press release

OXMIQ Labs Inc., a unified GPU and AI architecture company founded by Raja Koduri, today closed its $35 million Series A financing, bringing the company’s total capital raised to $60 million. The funding will scale OxCore™, OXMIQ’s licensable GPU architecture that allows semiconductor companies and AI system builders to build custom AI silicon without a full chip program. The round was co-led by Fundomo and Samsung Catalyst Fund, with participation from MediaTek, AM Intelligence Labs, Pegatron Venture Capital, CDIB-TEN, Darwin Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital, among other financial and strategic investors. OXMIQ’s expertise spans the full AI stack, from renewable power and data center infrastructure to silicon IP, electron-to-token machines (ETMs™), along with the software that runs AI factories and agents. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701241910/en/ OXMIQ Funding raised to date of $60M after current $3

SamanTree Medical’s Histolog® Scanner Technology Featured in 13 Publications in Special BJU International Issue on Confocal Microscopy in Urology1.7.2026 15:01:00 CEST | Press release

Papers highlight clinical research on use of confocal microscopy for real-time tissue assessment in various urologic procedures SamanTree Medical, a global leader in surgical imaging innovation, today announced that Histolog Scanner confocal microscopy technology has been featured in 13 peer-reviewed clinical papers in a special issue of BJU International, one of the world’s leading journals in urology. The special edition focuses on a growing body of evidence of the role of confocal microscopy in urologic surgery. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701425845/en/ SamanTree Medical announces that Histolog® Scanner confocal microscopy technology is featured in 13 peer-reviewed clinical papers in a special issue of BJU International. “The special issue represents increasing momentum behind confocal microscopy in urologic surgery,” said Professor Greg Shaw, consultant urologic surgeon at University College London

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