An enormous dragon named Vhagar has taken over the Empire State Building in Midtown.
The 270-foot spectacle is a marketing stunt by streaming service Max to promote season two of its show “House of the Dragon” in partnership with creative agency Giant Spoon, billed as a “weeklong takeover” of the iconic Manhattan skyscraper. It’s fixed into place by more than 153 rigging points, according to a press release from the Empire State Realty Trust.
The dragon was fabricated by Bigger Than Life Advertising and is made up of more than 1,700 total patterns and 600,000 inches of sewn seams, the release said.
The best views of Vhagar are in Manhattan from the south of the Empire State Building, according to the Trust.
The Empire State Building occasionally becomes a sky-scraper-shaped billboard.
“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,” Trust Chairman and CEO Tony Malkin said in a statement, referencing lore from the show. “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.”
Season two of “House of the Dragon” kicks off on Sunday. The show is a fantasy drama series that serves as a prequel to the hit show “Game of Thrones.”
The Empire State Building’s lights change color to recognize important occasions, holidays and organizations throughout the year. Occasionally though, it becomes a sky-scraper-shaped billboard.
In 2022, Netflix projected a “portal to the Upside Down” during a massive marketing campaign for Stranger Things 4, also with Giant Spoon.
The best views of Vhagar are in Manhattan from the south of the Empire State Building, according to the Trust.
