Star Wars light show takes over the Empire State Building in New York City

Mar 22, 2024 in "Star Wars Galaxy's Edge"

Star Wars Empire State Building takeover
Posted: Friday March 22, 2024 8:30am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

To kick off the Star Wars fan holiday May the 4th, Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm took over the Empire State Building yesterday with product reveals, activities, and news spotlighting the villains of the Star Wars galaxy — commenced by Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen.

The Empire State Building debuted a five-minute dynamic light show featuring fan-favorite scenes from Star Wars films and streaming series — with a special focus on villains including Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, stormtroopers, and more. The spectacle was synched to John Williams' "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)," played simultaneously on iHeartMedia's Z100 New York radio station and the iHeartRadio app.

The takeover included interactive photo moments, highlighting new Star Wars products in window and observatory deck displays — with select experiences open to the public through April 29. On the iconic 86th Floor Observatory, Star Wars fans can pose with a life-size Funko POP! Darth Vader figure with a backdrop of unmatched New York City skyline views.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, the LEGO Group is featuring a museum-quality display of life-sized Star Wars villains, built from LEGO bricks—including six-foot tall, brick-built recreations of Darth Vader and Darth Maul—on the 80th floor.

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