Members of the public visiting the Tower of London were treated to a jaw-dropping spectacle as the British Army’s Coldstream Guards performed a rendition of the Game of Thrones theme tune as the ‘Night’s Watch’ from the global TV phenomenon performed a unique military display.

Emerging from the Bloody Tower at the Tower of London, the Night’s Watch marched to music from the Band of the Coldstream Guards and put on a dramatic sword performance. The military spectacle was orchestrated by Sky Atlantic to celebrate the launch of the hotly anticipated new and final season of Game of Thrones, starting at 2am and 9pm on 15^th April.

Sky Atlantic partnered with the British Army to choreograph the spectacle, which took two months of precise military and musical planning. The crowds had been expecting a traditional Changing of Sentry Duty from the Coldstream Guards as they played ‘The Standard of St George March’ before suddenly switching into the Game of Thrones soundtrack.

The iconic Tower of London, with almost a thousand years of history, provided the perfect historical backdrop for the stunt. Dressed in their traditional scarlet tunics and black fur busbys, the Army joined forces with the Night’s Watch in a unique partnership to bring the magic of Game of Thrones to life.

Sergeant Major Richard Maddocks from the Coldstream Guards Band, said: “We play all over the world at all sorts of concerts and events, but this was genuinely a career highlight for all of us seasoned Members of the Coldstream Guards Band. Given it’s a favourite TV programme of many of ours made it an extra special experience. The Night’s Watch delighted and stunned their audience and challenged us into looking our sharpest and playing our military best!”

Zai Bennett, Director of Programmes at Sky Entertainment UK and Ireland, said: “We have partnered with the British Army to give fans an unforgettable experience ahead of the launch of the eighth and final series of Game of Thrones. It has been a groundbreaking seven years and the Sky Atlantic team are excited about what’s in store as the millions of fans and Sky Atlantic viewers tune in to discover the outcome of the final battle between the living and the dead.”

Twelve actors were transformed into the Night’s Watch for the spectacle, by an expert team of stylists and make-up artists. Each actor wore a custom-made costume that took ten weeks to create.

The stunt has set the scene for the eagerly anticipated Game of Thrones finale. Sky Atlantic recorded their highest ever viewership, with 3.42 million people tuning into the last season finale live. The film was created by Taylor Herring and produced by the agency’s production arm St Marks Studios.

The final series of Game of Thrones will air on Monday 15th April at 2am and 9pm exclusively on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW TV in the UK and Ireland.

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To indelibly mark the final ever season of Game of Thrones, streaming service NOW TV is giving Game of Thrones superfans the chance to get inked at a one-of-a-kind tattoo studio, with a series of designs from guest tattooist to the stars, Lauren Winzer, who created and inked Sophie Turner’s iconic ‘The Pack Survives’ tattoo.

Open for two days only from Tuesday 16^th to Wednesday 17^th April 2019, the Tattoo Studio takeover at The Circle in Central London will offer 16 different Game of Thrones inspired tattoo designs, drawing on iconic themes, quotes and symbols from the show.

Winzer, whose Hollywood client list includes superstar singers Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry and Game of Thrones’ own Lady of Winterfell, has created a collection of tattoos suitable for every allegiance, so superfans can ink their loyalty to the throne forever.

Targaryen supporters will love the homage to Daenerys’ dragons, Stark fans can show their devotion with Arya’s legendary Needle and Lannister loyalists can pay their debts to the show with the heroic Lion sigil, not to mention a host of other tats up for grabs too.

NOW TV is giving away up to 100 free tattoos at central Soho tattoo studio, The Circle. A ballot of 50 advanced appointments will be available via Eventbrite! If you miss a slot, don’t lose your head like Ned, 50 tattoo slots will be available for walk-ins across the two days – on a first-come first-served basis.

The Circle tattoo parlour has been given a Seven Kingdoms inspired makeover and those attending will be able to stream episode one of the new and final season on NOW TV whilst getting their tattoo done – the perfect distraction! All tats will be inked by either special guest artist Winzer or by one of a team of first-class tattooists from The Circle.

*Note tattoos will only be available to those over the age of 18 and a valid passport or driving license must be shown on arrival at The Circle.

Fans can sign up via nowtv.com/gotink or via Eventbrite here: https://nowtvgotink.eventbrite.co.uk

WHERE: The Circle, 21 Noel Street, Soho, London, W1F 8GP
WHEN: Various slots 11:00 – 20:00 – Tuesday 16^th and Wednesday 17^th April 2019
AGES: 18+
COST: FREE

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Humanitarian relief organisation the International Rescue Committee is partnering US cable TV giant HBO and its hugely successful series “Game of Thrones” for a series of ads urging fans around the globe to support the charity’s work relieving the global refugee crisis.

People who give a minimum $10 donation via the fund-raising platform Omaze.com can enter a prize draw to win two tickets to the season premiere. Other items, such as T-shirts, are available as rewards for donating set amounts.

The ‘Rescue Has No Boundaries’ campaign is being fronted by Emmy-winning actress Lena Headey along with other Game of Thrones cast members. Its message is that the time is now to rescue refugees, no matter where they are in the world.

‘Game of Thrones’ is particularly suitable, the IRC says, because the epic fantasy series features story lines about civil war and the destruction of people’s homes and lives.

“We are currently facing the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II,” says IRC president and Chief Executive Officer David Miliband. “Our partnership with HBO and Game of Thrones—which premiered around the same time the war in Syria began—hopes to galvanize the general public to take action and rise up for refugees.”

Information about the campaign is on the IRC website, www.rescue.org/GameOfThrones.

Online and static ads are appearing on the charity’s microsite, YouTube and social media platforms. The campaign will run throughout the series’ sixth season, which begins April 24th, with the goal of raising $1 million to help fund the IRC’s relief work with millions of uprooted people inside Syria; in neighbouring Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan; in Afghanistan; in Greece and Serbia. IRC also has 26 resettlement offices in the United States.

The trailer for the sixth season of ‘Game of Thrones’ was viewed 32 million times within 24 hours of its being posted online.

The video ads show various Game of Thrones actors, starting with Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister and DeObia Oparei, who plays Areo Hotah, explaining how bad the refugee crisis is and how “this is no fiction. No fantasy.”

David Miliband points out that many of the actors are European and feel a close connection to the refugee crisis; the series is also filmed throughout Europe.

David Miliband, former leader of the UK’s Labour party, knows Richard Plepler, chairman and chief executive of HBO, who expressed an interest in putting the TV company’s resources behind the IRC.

As a result, HBO’s creative services team put the video ads together, with the actors from the series donating their time for free. Omaze will also be putting up further videos that take a lighter tone.

Further content will be released as Game of Thrones season six unfolds.

Omaze is a for-profit website which has run a large number of high profile campaigns where people who donate get the chance to win exclusive experiences such as the chance to attend film premieres or meet music stars and even have them perform at weddings.

Omaze, which receives 20% of all net donations, says that on average one of the fund-raising campaigns it hosts will generate between $250,000 and $1 million. A campaign linked to the Disney and Lucasfilm charity, Star Wars: Force for Change, which offered as star prize the chance to appear in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” raised over $4.2 million for UNICEF.

The IRC traces its roots back to 1933, when it was known as the International Relief Association, and numbers Albert Einstein amongst its founders. The IRA merged with another organisation, the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC), in 1942 and became know as the International Rescue Committee at that time.

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