A bold and romantic stunt unfolded Tuesday afternoon high above midday Manhattan, as two people made their way to the very top of the Empire State Building’s antenna and unfurled a banner carrying a message about love and peace — all captured on video by news helicopters in the area.
The pair, dressed in black clothing and wearing masks but apparently no safety tethers, stood on a narrow ledge at the top of the antenna, which stretches 1,454 feet — or 443 meters — above midtown New York City. They appeared to kiss as a banner reading “when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace” fluttered in the wind around them.
Shortly after 12:30 p.m., the two began making their way back down, carefully navigating the metal latticework of the antenna structure to reach a wider ledge below. Once there, one of the individuals appeared to set up some kind of electronic equipment, then dropped to one knee. After the pair kissed and embraced again, the other person extended their left hand to take selfies — appearing to admire what may have been a ring.
How the two managed to reach the antenna — which sits far above any publicly accessible area of the 102-story building — remained unclear. Neither police nor firefighters had immediate information about the situation, though the New York Police Department did alert residents to expect road closures and emergency activity in the vicinity of the building. A message left for the building’s management went unanswered.
This is not the first time thrill-seekers have attempted to climb the Empire State Building’s antenna or other parts of the famous structure. Most such climbs have been unauthorized. However, actor and musician Jared Leto was given permission to scale up to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor in 2023 as part of a tour promotion.
