The Empire State Building (ESB) has announced it will sparkle its world-famous LED lights daily for five minutes every hour between sunset and 2:00 a.m. ET. The hourly sparkle commenced on Sunday, March 11, 2018, to mark setting the clock forward by one hour to celebrate warmer and sunnier days ahead. New Yorkers and visitors alike can now use the Empire State Building not only as a compass in New York City but also as a clock.
ESB celebrates many cultures and causes in the world community with iconic lightings. Its tower lights recognize key milestones, events, charitable organizations, countries and holidays, a tradition which began in 1932 when a simple searchlight was used to announce the election of New York-born Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President.
In 2012, ESB upgraded its tower lighting system from floodlights to LED tower lights, which allows customized light capabilities from a palette of over 16 million colors in limitless combinations along with effects. Since then, ESB has debuted iconic music-to-light shows designed by world-renowned lighting designer Marc Brickman, featuring music from such stars as Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Zedd and Taylor Swift.
“Just as the world defines the New York City skyline by our famous silhouette, our iconic tower lights are the globally recognized icon of the New York City skyline at night,” said Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. “We are excited to unveil the new sparkle effect which will permanently enhance the New York skyline.”
Visitors and locals are encouraged to share pictures and videos of the sparkling lights and share on their social channels with the hashtag #ESBsparkle.