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On Tuesday, the day before Inauguration Day, President-elect Joe Biden is holding a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in honor of lives lost to COVID-19. Biden is also inviting communities around the country to join in lighting up their buildings and ringing church bells at 5:30pm in “a national moment of unity and remembrance," according to the event page.
The Empire State Building is joining in that night with its own lighting display—a red heartbeat that will flash to Alicia Keys’ anthem “Empire State of Mind” via iHeartMedia New York’s Z100. It'll beat from 5:30pm to 2am.
ESB's same heartbeat effect turned on each night at 9pm for several months in 2020 to show support for essential and front line workers. To some, it resembled a giant ambulance siren, but for others it was poignant.
"The Empire State Building has always, and will always, symbolize the hope and resilience of our great city and its people. We will come back even stronger, and the Empire State Building will be here to welcome everyone back," said Anthony E. Malkin, chairman, president, and CEO, Empire State Realty Trust. "The Empire State Building Observatory Experience reopened and began to safely welcome back visitors in July, and we continue to serve as the national and international symbol of strength and the ability to overcome any adversity."
Other NYC landmarks are glowing red, too, on Tuesday, including the World Trade Center, One Bryant Park, the Shops at Columbus Circle, South Street Seaport, the Park Avenue Viaduct and eight other New York City locations.
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