Winter is here. There. And everywhere.
With its eighth and final season premiering in just a few days, Game of Thrones excitement has reached a fever pitch. It doesn’t matter what corner of the map you find yourself in, you’re bound to find something that allows fans—whether they be bannermen of House Stark or House Lannister—to celebrate HBO’s epic fantasy phenomenon. All over the world, people are eagerly awaiting to find out who, in the end, will sit on the Iron Throne. We’ve ranked our favorite ways the world is getting hyped for the show’s final season.
The Bannermen of Beirut
One literal bannerman in Beirut has made his alliance clear: “The elders of Beirut support Jon Snow in his war against the White Walkers,” read a banner that appeared on a bridge (and subsequently went viral) in the capital of Lebanon.
“The elders of Beirut support Jon Snow in his war against the White Walkers.”
Lebanon’s current political climate isn’t all that different than the one in the Seven Kingdoms—there are currently 13 parties that have seats in Lebanon’s parliament, which has become emblematic of the country’s “fractured political scene”—that can’t quite come together in order to achieve a common goal. Faysal Timrawi, who created the banners, told Buzzfeed News that the many political banners around the city inspired him to try his own funny take.
The Global Scavenger Hunt for the Iron Throne
The Queen of Queens. #ForTheThrone#ThroneoftheCrypt https://t.co/MTUv2T96gR pic.twitter.com/urUlz5IrfP
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) March 28, 2019
In order to promote the final season, HBO hid six life-size recreations of the Iron Throne throughout the world. Fans were charged with scouring the globe working off only the scantest of hints. HBO would tweet brief, cryptic clues and fans could view a time-lapse of the location that could be viewed in 360 degrees. The thrones were discovered in Puzzlewood (England), Castillo de Atienza (Spain), Bebribe (Brazil), Tumbler Ridge (Canada), Björkliden (Sweden), and Queens (New York City). Though they had to abdicate their thrones, the newly minted kings and queens did keep to keep their crowns as a prize.
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All Characters Must Die: Sydney’s Grave of Thrones
“In the game of thrones,” as Cersei Lannister said way back in season one, “You win or you die.” These characters? They did not win. The Grave of Thrones pop up cemetery (which was built by an Australian cable company) appeared in Sydney’s Centennial Park and pays tribute to the many characters that met their (often gruesome) ends over the past 7 seasons. The
For anyone who’s ever wanted to literally dance on the grave of Joffrey Baratheon, you have until Sunday, April 14.
cemetery features two family mausoleums (one for the unfortunate Starks and one for the Baratheons) as well as headstones for just about every notable player that made the mistake of not being outfitted plot armor. For anyone who’s ever wanted to literally dance on the grave of Joffrey Baratheon, you have until Sunday, April 14.
Themed Pop-Up Bar in Philadelphia
Listen, when you live in the hardscrabble world of Westeros, you’re going to need a well-aged glass of Dornish red to take the edge off. So why not head to “Bar of Thrones,” a pop-up bar near Philadelphia’s Market Square. The space has been made over to resemble locations from the show, complete with banners with the sigils of various family houses, a wall of masks a la The Hall of Faces, and a large Weirwood Tree. The menu offers the show’s official beers and a range of specialty cocktails, some of which incorporate the special “White Walker” edition of Johnnie Walker. Bar of Thrones runs through the end of May.
Sit on the Other Throne at Shake Shack
Did you miss your chance in the scavenger hunt to claim the Iron Throne for yourself? Might we interest you in the Dragonstone Throne? For today only you can head to the 225 Varick Street Shake Shack in New York City’s West Village, to experience a piece of the Targaryen family’s ancestral home. Better a king for a minute than not at all!
Holding the Door Like Hodor in India
India is another hotbed of Game of Thrones fandom, where themed events have already taken place, including a performance earlier this month in Mumbai where a huge orchestra put on a performance of the show’s theme song that truly has to be seen to be believed.
But just because you missed out on this impressive display doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. You can head to the Holding the Door Like Hodor event at Doolally Taproom on April 14 where teams (houses) will be gathering to drink, know things (i.e. play Game of Thrones trivia) as well as competitively act out scenes and sing their versions of the “Rains of Castemere” (though that sounds like a good way to have everyone in the bar looking over suspiciously the whole night).
The Colorado Springs Brewery Crawl
Seven of Colorado Springs’ local breweries will be putting on the booziest celebration yet! Each brewery (which will represent a different family house) will offer specialized beers instead of sigils. And because no fantasy epic is complete without a map, participants can purchase one that will allow them to navigate the plethora of boozy offerings. What’s a self-respecting fantasy epic without a map?