How Fans Can Attend the Ultimate 'SVU' Anniversary Party
Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni
It might be customary to celebrate a 25th anniversary with a splash of silver, but NBC is going for a full-on landmark takeover event to honor Law & Order: SVU's newest milestone. The network is planning to turn its iconic 30 Rock headquarters into "Olivia Benson Plaza" in honor of Mariska Hargitay's beloved character as the series reaches a quarter century of airtime, per Variety.
Turning 25 is another landmark achievement for the show, which has plenty else to boast about in the way of impressive figures. SVU has been the longest-running primetime live-action series since 2019 when Season 21 premiered. It's also the last primetime original that's been running since the '90s since the first Law & Order spinoff originally premiered in 1999. Plus, the show is bested only by The Simpsons in number of seasons and has the fourth-highest number of episodes for any show ever.
Related: 'Law & Order: SVU': Everything to Know About the Show's Milestone Season 25
Hargitay's Olivia Benson has, of course, been the stalwart of the series since day one. The actress and co-star Christopher Meloni blew creator Dick Wolf away with their joint audition right there in 30 Rock. It's only fitting, then, that this is the location the network is choosing to honor its central heroine.
In a statement, NBCU entertainment exec Margaret Walker said of the event, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and New York have always been intrinsically linked, and what better way to bring the show to life than to incorporate it into the city itself. Olivia Benson is an iconic character whose connection to our viewers has only grown over the past 25 years, and naming the experience after her is a small way to pay tribute to that legacy and the strength of the fandom."
Here are more details about how NBC is turning 30 Rock into "Olivia Benson Plaza" next month.
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When is the SVU 25th anniversary event at 30 Rock?
The 30 Rock takeover event is scheduled to happen for two consecutive days, on Thursday, March 14, and Friday, March 15. The start date coincides with the premiere of Season 25's seventh episode (titled "Probability of Doom"), which will be the series' 545th overall.
Where is the SVU 25th anniversary event?
"Olivia Benson Plaza" will be located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. This is the skyscraper NBC uses as a studio headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, and the location is also known for its annual ice skating rink and Christmas Tree lighting event.
What will happen at the SVU 25th anniversary event at 30 Rock?
"Olivia Benson Plaza" will be an activation that offers fans a few goodies to take home. Per Variety, the site will host a coffee truck from La Colombe that's dubbed "Benson & Co." and give guests free coffee and tea in SVU-themed cups. There'll also be a pop-up shop selling an anniversary T-shirt and friendship bracelets, with 25% of the purchase money benefiting Hargitay's charity, the Joyful Heart Foundation.
Fans in attendance will also have a chance to play SVU trivia, enjoy photo opportunities on site, and potentially win prizes in giveaways. A photo of the site featured on Variety shows the takeover including an SVU-themed subway entrance sign and a massive entryway tent with the show's title art on top.
Will the stars of SVU be at the SVU 25th anniversary event?
It is unknown at this time whether any of the stars of Law & Order: SVU will stop by to see the pop-up experience.
Do you need tickets to attend the SVU 25th anniversary event?
Nope! Access to the location will be free and open to the public.
