Zohran Mamdani will make history early on Thursday morning by becoming the 112th mayor of the City of New York.
He will not only be the first Muslim mayor in the city’s rich history, but also the youngest chief executive of the Big Apple in more than a century.
Mamdani will take the oath of office twice; once just after midnight on Jan. 1 in a private ceremony that officially will make him mayor; and then again during the formal inauguration ceremony on the steps of City Hall in the afternoon.
Here’s what you need to know about inauguration events for incoming Mayor Mamdani:
Swearing-in in the subway
As New Yorkers ring in the arrival of 2026 above ground, Mayor Mamdani will officially take the oath of office after midnight in a small ceremony at the old City Hall subway station.
Joined by his wife, Rama Duwaji, immediate family members and a limited number of reporters, Mamdani will be inaugurated into office by state Attorney General Letitia James. She will administer the oath of office in which Mamdani will avow to uphold the U.S. Constitution, the state constitution and the city charter; and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office of mayor.
The incoming mayor said he chose to take the oath of office at the old City Hall station — the first subway station ever built in New York — because it stands as a “physical monument to a city that dared to be both beautiful and build great things that would transform working peoples’ lives.” These values, he said, would serve as “the purpose of the administration fortunate enough to serve New Yorkers from the building above.”
City Hall inauguration ceremony and block party
Hours later, Mayor Mamdani will celebrate the start of his tenure during the formal inauguration ceremony on the steps of City Hall, which will be accompanied by a block party through the Canyon of Heroes, the Mamdani transition team says, potentially accommodating tens of thousands of New Yorkers.
The block party through the Canyon of Heroes – a place of honor in the Big Apple where championship teams and distinguished people are feted with ticker-tape parades — aims to allow as many New Yorkers as possible “to take part in ushering in a new era for New York City,” according to the Mamdani transition team.
The festivities begin at 1 p.m. on Jan. 1 with the inauguration ceremony at City Hall. Mayor-elect Mamdani will be officially installed as the city’s 111th mayor. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and incoming City Comptroller Mark Levine will also be sworn in.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a mentor of sorts to the democratic socialist new mayor, will administer the oath of office to Mayor Mamdani. Bronx/Queens U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another icon in the democratic socialist movement, will also deliver an address during the ceremony.
The ceremony will feature “music, performances, interfaith elements, and remarks from all three elected officials,” the transition team noted.
Those who wish to attend the inauguration must first RSVP at transition2025.com/inauguration. They should plan on arriving between 11 a.m. and noon on Jan. 1 to ensure the best possible viewing spot. The general entrance will be located at the intersection of Liberty Street and Broadway; ADA access is available at the corner of Barclay Street and Broadway.
