Did Madonna really take over the Empire State Building to promote Confessions II?
Several clips have emerged showing two people climbing the Empire State Building, leaving viewers wondering which one is real
By Aaron Sugg
The internet has gone into a frenzy after a man and a woman were filmed waving a flag on top of the Empire State Building yesterday (1 July).
There have been several different versions of the footage, including one showing the darkly dressed pair waving a banner promoting Madonna‘s Confessions II album release.
In a viral social media post, fans speculated that it was the latest marketing stunt from the Queen of Pop ahead of her album drop tomorrow (3 July).
“Listen to Madonna – Confessions II” – a version of the Empire State Building stunt flag read
The pink banner read: “Listen to Madonna – Confessions II“, with fans taking to the comments section asking, “Is it real?” and claiming it was AI.
Sadly, Madonna was not behind the stunt. It was actually Russian climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, known from Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.
The couple were on top of the Empire State Building for roughly 30 minutes, waving a black banner bearing the words: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” written in white text.
Empire State Building climbers got engaged
BREAKING: 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."
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 1, 2026
As of now it's unclear how the pair reached the top of the… pic.twitter.com/rUPZ6nc1eK
The pair also appeared to get engaged, as Beerkus got down on one knee and placed a ring on Nikolau’s finger. They later posted photos to Instagram showing off the proposal.
The Confessions II deepfake comes as fans anticipate Madonna’s comeback album, her first since her seventh studio album, Madame X, was released in June 2019.
Ahead of the album’s release, Madonna is giving fans an early listen to 16 new tracks through an exclusive TikTok livestream today (2 July) at 4.30pm ET (9.30pm BST).
Where to listen to Madonna’s Confessions II album early
The event, titled iHeartRadio and TikTok LIVE Premiere With Madonna, will air on @tiktok, @madonna and @iheartradio, while also being broadcast on more than 200 iHeartRadio stations across the US.
As seen previously with Madonna’s staggering Times Square Pride performance on 4 June, the Queen of Pop is full of surprises, with one more reportedly lined up following the release of Confessions II.
Allegedly, according to The Sun, Madonna is tipped to make an appearance on the main stage at Pride in London 2026 on 4 July, the day after Confessions II is released worldwide.