And for their next trick, high wire daredevils Nik and Lijana Wallenda will attempt to walk across Times Square without bumping into any tourists, costumed characters or hawkers. That’s the easy part. The hard part is, they’ll be about 25 stories above the hustle and bustle.
Nik and his sister, Lijana, of the "Flying Wallendas" circus family, will attempt to cross the “Crossroads of the World” by traveling about 1,300 feet via tightrope between 1 Times Square and 2 Times Square — and they’ll do it all live during prime-time on ABC on June 23, according to the broadcasting company.
“In 1928, my family performed at Madison Square Garden in the City of Dreams for the first time in the USA,” Nik said in a statement. “And on June 23, I have the great opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of my own by paying homage to that performance as we return for my most exhilarating feat yet. I am beyond excited to be able to walk with my sister, Lijana, as she overcomes near-death injuries and continues the Wallenda tradition of never giving up!”
This high wire walk will be the first for Lijana since a 2017 accident when she and four others fell about 30 feet off a tightrope during a rehearsal, according to ABC.
During this walk, the brother and sister will start on opposite sides of the wire and meet — and cross — in the middle.
This isn’t the first time Nik has tried to take his high-wire act to New York City: In 2013, he hoped to walk between the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. Then-Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said he wasn’t a fan of the idea and nixed it, saying at the time that he believed it was “dangerous,” and possibly hazardous to those on the ground underneath in case of a fall.
