Zohran Mamdani to miss Met Gala breaking years-long NYC mayoral tradition: Sources

NEW YORK CITY: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and first lady Rama Duwaji will not attend this year’s Met Gala despite receiving an invitation, according to sources, in a move that reflects the mayor’s political values and sets him apart from recent city leaders who treated the annual fundraiser as a civic tradition.

The Met Gala, scheduled for Monday, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of New York City’s most visible cultural events, attracting celebrities, political figures and business leaders. Sitting mayors are customarily invited, making Mamdani’s decision to decline notable.

Zohran Mamdani to skip the event

Sources told the New York Post that Mamdani, 34, has no plans to attend the gala hosted by Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

“He’s not coming,” one source said. “And it would be foolish if he did … can you imagine? It goes against everything he believes in.”

Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, has publicly criticized extreme wealth in the past, once stating, “I don’t think that we should have billionaires.” His absence from the event appears consistent with that position, especially given the gala’s reliance on wealthy donors and corporate sponsors.

Mamdani’s decision also marks a departure from recent mayoral precedent. Former mayor Eric Adams attended the 2022 Met Gala with partner Tracey Collins, wearing a custom jacket with the message “End Gun Violence.” Bill de Blasio attended in 2021 during his final year in office, while Michael Bloomberg was a regular guest throughout his mayoralty and has continued attending in recent years.

By skipping the gala, Mamdani distances himself from that tradition and reinforces his outsider image at a time when he is shaping his public identity as mayor.

Event backed by billionaires

This year’s event is being financially supported by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez-Bezos, who are serving as lead donors and honorary co-chairs.

That billionaire backing has intensified the contrast between Mamdani’s political message and the event’s elite image. Even so, some New York insiders believe the mayor is missing an opportunity to embrace a signature city tradition.

“It’s such a New York institution. I think he should go. It’s a very New York moment,” a socialite told the New York Post.

The Met Gala serves as a fundraiser for the Anna Wintour Costume Center and is widely seen as both a fashion spectacle and a symbol of elite influence in the city.

Praise for NYC's first lady

Despite Mamdani’s decision, first lady Rama Duwaji recently received praise from Anna Wintour for her fashion choices.

“I’m full of admiration for New York City’s new first lady because she looks so cool and wears a lot of vintage - young and modern and also entirely herself,” Wintour said in a recent Vogue interview.

This year’s Met Gala will follow the theme “Costume Art,” with a dress code of “Fashion is Art,” and is expected to draw major names from entertainment, politics and fashion, even without New York City’s new mayor in attendance.