The Empire State Building partnered with Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm for a Star Wars-themed, villains-inspired takeover in New York City that featured a dynamic light show, immersive experiences for visitors, character appearances, and participation from actor Hayden Christensen. Fans who visited the iconic building have the opportunity to immerse themselves into Star Wars galaxy photo opportunities through April 29, 2024.

Star Wars in Lights

A dynamic light show featuring scenes of Star Wars villains ran on the building’s south side facade 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 on March 21, 2024 to tour the Observatory Experience and flip the ceremonial switch ahead of the dynamic light show.

Step into the Scenes

During the event, The Empire State Building’s iconic Fifth Avenue Lobby windows feature special Star Wars-themed artistry that depicts scenes of Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and stormtroopers surrounded by a range of Star Wars memorabilia.

At the base of the building, visitors were able to 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 could also pose in the blister card packaging of a Star Wars Vintage Collection figure. Additionally, attendees were also able to check out then-current 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 featured 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 had the chance to pose with a 3D LEGO Star Wars mural of Luke Skywalker and other fan-favorite characters from the film series. The LEGO Star Wars exhibit remains on display in the Observatory through April 29, 2024.

The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire State Building Observatory hosts a movie screening of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the 80th Floor on March 22, 2024. Guests who purchase tickets to the screening receive complimentary drinks and snacks, along with access to the 86th and 102nd Floor Observatories.