New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will begin the new year with his private inauguration ceremony at midnight on Thursday, followed by a public ceremony in the early afternoon.
The socialist will soon take charge of City Hall and succeed current Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out of the mayoral race before the general election. Adams said he will be joining Mamdani at the public ceremony to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Here is everything to know about Mamdani’s inauguration on New Year’s Day.
Time and place
The private swearing-in ceremony is slated to start around midnight after the Times Square ball drops to ring in the new year. The event will be held in a decommissioned subway station beneath City Hall.
While the location is an unusual choice for an inauguration ceremony, Mamdani’s transition team said it reflects his “commitment to the working people who keep our city running every day.”
“When I take my oath from the station at the dawn of the New Year, I will do so humbled by the opportunity to lead millions of New Yorkers into a new era of opportunity, and honored to carry forward our city’s legacy of greatness,” Mamdani said.
The mayor-elect will be surrounded by his family at the private ceremony as New York Attorney General Letitia James administers the oath of office.
The public swearing-in ceremony, scheduled to start at 1 p.m., will be held above ground on the steps of City Hall.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will swear in the incoming mayor. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) will deliver opening remarks for Mamdani, and Cornelius Eady will read an original poem.
James, Sanders, and Ocasio-Cortez were all close allies of Mamdani during his campaign. They are also notable opponents of President Donald Trump, who has committed to working with Mamdani for the betterment of New York City.
Adams and former Mayor Bill de Blasio are also expected to attend the public ceremony.
Number of attendees
The daytime inauguration is anticipated to draw about 40,000 to 50,000 people to Manhattan, according to the New York Post.
The inauguration ceremony will be capped at 4,000 ticketed guests, but the public is also invited to view the proceedings on large video screens and celebrate throughout the day.
Up to 40,000 people can be accommodated for a public block party near City Hall. A stretch of Broadway will be closed by police for the street celebration on Thursday.
The party is supposed to feature live musical performances and interfaith elements. Mamdani’s transition team stressed there will be no heating tents for attendees to brave the cold January weather.
Use of Quran for oath of office
The inauguration will be unprecedented in the sense that Mamdani will not adhere to the traditional oath of office in which a Bible is often used. Instead, he will be sworn into office on the Quran.
Mamdani, who’s set to become the first Muslim mayor of New York City, distinguished himself from the other mayoral candidates partly based on his religious faith.
The New York Times reported that the mayor-elect will use two family Qurans, including one from his grandfather, and another copy from black writer and historian Arturo Alfonso Schomburg during both inauguration ceremonies.
“It’s a highly symbolic choice because we’re about to have a Muslim mayor swearing in using the Quran but also a mayor who was born on the African continent, in Uganda,” New York Public Library curator Hiba Abid, who lent Schomburg’s Quran to Mamdani for Thursday, told the outlet. “It really brings together here elements of faith, identity, and New York history.”
Fundraising by inaugural committee
Mamdani’s inauguration committee has raised at least $3.7 million in funds from more than 32,000 donors since his election victory in November. The transition team set an initial $4 million goal.
His campaign surpassed Adams in the amount of funds donated during the transition period. By the start of his term in January 2022, Adams raised roughly $1.94 million.
Mamdani’s fundraising efforts were largely fueled by grassroots donors, reflective of his appeal to the working class. His policies, many of which were controversial for their socialist bent, focused on affordability and cost-of-living concerns.
Among Mamdani’s policy promises were rent freezes, free public transit, and city-owned grocery stores. Despite the public skepticism, the mayor-elect intends to follow through on these policies.
ADAMS COMMITS TO ATTENDING MAMDANI INAUGURATION AFTER SPEAKING WITH MAYOR-ELECT
High-profile figures on Mamdani’s 48-member inaugural committee include Ms. Rachel, a popular YouTube personality who produces content for children; John Turturro, an actor and filmmaker; and Cynthia Nixon, an actress and progressive activist.
The transition team has said the inaugural committee, which will also include small business owners and campaign workers, “provided perspective, guidance, and cultural sensibility” for the ceremonies.
