Watch: Empire State Building climbers arrested after rooftop proposal stunt in New York

A couple have been arrested in New York City after climbing up the spire of the Empire State Building.

Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32, climbed to the tip of the iconic skyscraper before unfurling a massive banner reading: ‘When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.‘ Moments later, Beerkus dropped to one knee and appeared to propose.

The pair kissed while balancing above the city skyline, with helicopters circling nearby and emergency calls flooding in from stunned onlookers below. However, the stunt quickly turned into a police matter.

@foxnewsBREAKING: Two people have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, holding a banner from the skyscraper’s antenna reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” As of now it’s unclear how the pair reached the top of the building as police work to get them down from the spire, 1,454 feet above the ground.♬ original sound – Fox News

Reportedly, the New York Police Department later confirmed the couple had been taken into custody after descending from the building. Authorities said the pair could face several charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Investigators believe the couple may have entered a restricted maintenance area through a hatch near the 103rd floor, a level not open to the public. The Empire State Building’s famous observation deck sits just below that section. Building management later stressed that visitors and tenants were never in danger during the ‘unauthorised incident.‘

In a tongue-in-cheek statement, representatives for the skyscraper added that the building already offers ‘a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals‘ without climbing the antenna.

PSA: The Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals https://t.co/E93u0zMBIa.

Empire State Building Observation Deck (@EmpireStateBldg) July 1, 2026

For people familiar with extreme urban stunts, the names Nikolau and Beerkus are far from unknown. According to Variety, the duo became internationally famous through social media videos showing them scaling some of the world’s tallest structures without ropes or safety gear.

Last year, their relationship and dangerous lifestyle became the focus of the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which followed the pair as they climbed Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 tower, currently the world’s second-tallest building.

The documentary revealed the lengths the pair go to in preparing for these illegal climbs, including hiding inside buildings for hours to avoid detection. That history has now fuelled speculation online that the Empire State Building stunt may have been carefully planned for months.

New York has seen its fair share of headline-grabbing public stunts over the years, but even in a city known for spectacle, the sight of two people dangling above the Empire State Building stopped pedestrians in their tracks. For nearly half an hour, one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks became the stage for a dangerous act of love, rebellion and internet-age performance.

Whether the proposal ends in marriage or lengthy court proceedings remains to be seen.

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