Zohran Mamdani will officially take office as mayor of New York City as the calendar flips to 2026, with celebrations stretching well beyond midnight and into New Year’s Day.
Zohran Mamdani has Two Swearing-In Ceremonies
Mamdani’s team has planned two swearing-in ceremonies on Thursday. The first will be a quiet, family-only affair just after midnight inside the long-closed City Hall subway station. The second, a larger public ceremony, will take place later in the afternoon and culminate in a block party outside City Hall.
Because a mayor’s term begins at the start of the new year, New York has a tradition of holding dual inaugurations. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams was sworn in at Times Square shortly after the ball drop, while his predecessor Bill de Blasio took his first oath at home in Brooklyn.
Mamdani’s initial oath will be administered at the former City Hall subway station in Manhattan, one of the original stops on the city’s first underground line. Known for its ornate tiled arches and vaulted ceilings, the station was closed in 1945 and is now accessible only through limited historical tours or by staying on a downtown 6 train as it loops back north.
Zohran Mamdani will be Sworn-In by Sen. Bernie Sanders
Letitia James, the state’s attorney general and a close political ally of Mamdani — as well as a prominent critic of President Donald Trump — will administer the midnight oath.
Mamdani’s office said the location reflects his “commitment to the working people who keep our city running every day.” Mamdani has also described the station as a symbol of a period when New York invested heavily in public infrastructure to improve everyday life — an approach he says his administration intends to revive.
The second ceremony will take place Thursday afternoon on the steps of City Hall, where Mamdani will be sworn in again, this time by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. with opening remarks from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another key ally.
At both ceremonies, Mamdani — who will become the city’s first Muslim mayor — will place his hand on copies of the Qur’an, marking the first time a New York City mayor has been sworn in using Islam’s holy book.
He Becomes New York City’s 112th Mayor
Mamdani’s transition team formed an inaugural committee that includes actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola, and author Colson Whitehead, along with advocates, small business owners, and campaign staff. His office said the group helped provide “perspective, guidance, and cultural sensibility” for the events.
The public swearing-in will be paired with a block party along a stretch of Broadway leading to City Hall. Organizers expect thousands to attend, with live performances, music, and interfaith elements planned throughout the afternoon.
Mamdani’s election has also prompted a small historical correction. City archivists determined he is technically the city’s 112th mayor, not the 111th, after historians uncovered a long-overlooked 17th-century mayor who served two separate terms.
In the final weeks before taking office, Mamdani has been staffing his administration and announcing key appointments, with several decisions finalized as recently as Wednesday — just hours before his first oath of office.
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