{"id":219865,"date":"2026-05-04T22:17:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T22:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/219865\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T22:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T22:17:10","slug":"heres-why-new-york-city-mayor-zohran-mamdani-is-skipping-the-2026-met-gala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/219865\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Why New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is Skipping the 2026 Met Gala"},"content":{"rendered":"

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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Skips 2026 Met GalaSpencer Platt – Getty Images<\/p>\n

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The Met Gala<\/a> is the place to see and be seen. But some might argue it might not offer the best optics for everyone, depending on your day job. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji<\/a> aren\u2019t among the celebrities and other New York politicians attending fashion\u2019s biggest night this year.<\/p>\n

Mamdani told New York City metro news outlet HellGate<\/a> in an interview last month that the event\u2019s reputation clashes with his focus on affordability and economic inequality. The decision is also notable given this year\u2019s honorary chairs: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos<\/a>, who are also among the gala\u2019s sponsors alongside Saint Laurent and Cond\u00e9 Nast. Bezos\u2019s involvement has drawn significant backlash. According to The New York Times<\/a>, a poster plastered near the museum in late April read \u201cThe Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation,” most likely referencing longstanding<\/a> allegations of worker mistreatment at Amazon fulfillment centers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Given that the mayor is currently pushing for a tax increase on millionaires<\/a>, while also having stated that billionaires should not exist in a time of extreme economic inequality<\/a>, political analysts say<\/a> his attendance would have been a difficult position for the Mayor\u2019s Office to defend. While mayoral attendance<\/a> at the Met Gala is often described as tradition, it has not been universal. Former Mayor Eric Adams skipped the red carpet in 2023<\/a>, 2024, and 2025, making Mamdani\u2019s absence less of a break from recent precedent than some reports have suggested.<\/p>\n

The Met Gala also serves as the annual fundraiser for the museum\u2019s Costume Institute, and this year\u2019s banquet has reportedly already broken records, generating more than $42 million<\/a>. Each year, the Met Gala\u2019s dress code<\/a> reflects the theme of that year\u2019s accompanying exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year, the theme is \u201cCostume Art,<\/a>\u201d and the accompanying exhibition explores the relationship between clothing and the human form across Western art from prehistory to the present. The evening also inaugurated the new 12,000-square-foot Cond\u00e9 M. Nast Galleries at the museum. Along with the Bezoses, co-chairs this year are Beyonc\u00e9, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.<\/p>\n

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