Alex Honnold To Scale Taipei 101 Live On Netflix

Alex Honnold, the daredevil climber whose free solo ascent of El Capitan stunned the world and earned him an Oscar, is about to take on a new vertical challenge—this time, not on a sheer granite face, but on the gleaming glass and steel of Taipei 101. The world will be watching live as Honnold attempts to scale the iconic 1,677-foot skyscraper in Taiwan, all without ropes or safety harnesses. The event, aptly titled "Skyscraper Live," is set to air on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on January 23, 2026, with coverage hosted by ESPN's Elle Duncan.

Unlike his previous exploits that were meticulously edited into documentaries, this time viewers will experience every nerve-racking moment in real time. According to Mashable, the climb is being billed as a "true high-stakes live broadcast," and Netflix is pulling out all the stops to ensure it’s as thrilling as it is safe. Honnold himself acknowledges the tension, saying, “I’m sure viewers will probably be on edge watching this. I assume that most people will be sort of uncomfortable watching the whole thing. But I hope that viewers get a little bit of my joy from the experience—that they can appreciate the fun of it and the beauty of it, the scenery, just the whole experience. It’s not just extreme sports—it’s more.”

The ascent is not just a straight shot up. Honnold’s route begins at the slab base of Taipei 101, which is considered the "easy" part of the climb. But from there, things get considerably more complicated. As Variety reports, the building’s middle section is designed like a series of eight-story "bamboo boxes," complete with overhanging ledges and dragon figures that Honnold will have to scale. The upper section presents even greater challenges, with overhangs so steep that Honnold will be forced to rely almost entirely on his upper body strength, his legs dangling in open space.

At the summit awaits a small, four-foot platform—just enough for Honnold to stand and savor the view as the highest human for miles around. James Smith, head of adventure at Plimsoll Productions, describes one particularly hair-raising section at the top: “There’s this massive steel ring section, which we call the crown of Taipei 101, where he’s saying he might bat hang. You kind of put your knee into a hole, and then you can lean backwards and just rest and stretch your arms and things get the blood going.” For those with vertigo, just imagining this might already be too much!

Safety is, of course, a paramount concern. Grant Mansfield, CEO of Plimsoll Prods., told Variety, “There is a massive focus on how do you guarantee that this is entertaining, but obviously the other element is safety. I have chaired as many safety meetings as I have creative meetings.” The production team has drawn up extensive contingency plans, including a 10-second broadcast delay so the cameras can cut away in the event of an emergency. “Nobody expects or wants to see anything like that to happen. But we will cut away, and it’s as simple as that,” said Netflix’s Jeff Gaspin.

The timing of the climb was chosen with weather in mind. January is Taiwan’s dry season, but as of the latest forecasts, there’s still a 30% chance of rain on the morning of the attempt. If the building is too wet, the broadcast may be delayed by up to two days to ensure optimal conditions. “Our main contingency planning is we can delay the broadcast by maybe an hour, maybe slightly longer,” Smith explained. “If it is deemed too wet, if there’s too much moisture on the building, we will probably delay to the next day, which would be a Saturday night transmission in the U.S. We could even delay another day if we needed to. Obviously Alex has to be 100% comfortable and happy in himself and in the conditions. And then our safety team likewise have to.”

Honnold is no stranger to backing out if he feels conditions aren’t right. In the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, viewers saw him call off his El Capitan climb when he didn’t feel ready. This time, the team is clear: “There’s a two-tick system,” Mansfield said. “First and foremost, he has to feel good about it. And we’ve said to him repeatedly, if you’re not feeling it, despite the fact it’s a live broadcast, and there’s a bunch of TV people hanging around, you are under no pressure to do this climb. And the second tick is, if we get in a situation where he’s saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going for it,’ but there are things that bothering us, we have the right to say ‘no.’ He won’t be on that building unless we’re all comfortable.”

The event is the realization of a dream years in the making. Honnold first announced plans for a televised Taipei 101 climb back in 2013, but that attempt was scrapped over safety concerns. Now, after years of planning and a close partnership with Plimsoll Productions (who have worked with Honnold on projects like "The Devil’s Climb" and "Arctic Ascent With Alex Honnold"), the stars have finally aligned. Mansfield noted, “It was just the right idea at the right time. The trick is if you’re not televising live sports events, you have to create something of significant scale. So a man climbing a very tall building without a rope is a pretty compelling proposition, right?”

Netflix, meanwhile, is betting big on live events to capture audience attention in a crowded streaming market. According to Variety, the company has recently invested in live sports, comedy roasts, and even a reboot of "Star Search." Skyscraper Live is their latest—and perhaps most daring—experiment. Elle Duncan, who recently joined Netflix from ESPN, will anchor the broadcast, providing commentary and helping viewers process the gravity of what they’re witnessing. “Trying to entertain people at the same time that we’re watching someone do something that could kill him,” she remarked to Variety.

The production itself is a logistical ballet. As Honnold climbs, a team of four camera operators will leapfrog him by racing to the elevator and setting up above him to capture every angle. Drones, remote cameras, and even a helicopter will be deployed for dramatic aerial shots. “I love the meticulous planning that all comes down to that one moment,” Smith said. “It’s more akin to kind of putting on a play or a live concert. I love the fact that you have to spend months and months, really getting into the detail, thinking through all these different scenarios. But then when you’re on air, it’s all about being in the moment and being reactive and making decisions very quickly.”

For those who want to catch up on Honnold’s previous exploits, Free Solo is currently streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. As Mashable notes, it’s the perfect prelude to "Skyscraper Live," offering a glimpse into the mind and method of a man who seems to defy gravity—and fear—at every turn.

As the world tunes in to watch Honnold’s latest feat, one thing is certain: whether you’re a climbing enthusiast or just a fan of jaw-dropping spectacle, this is an event you won’t want to miss. The stakes are sky-high, the planning meticulous, and the outcome—well, that’s anyone’s guess until the final, breathless moment.