New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's swearing-in: What to know if you go

New York City’s next mayor, Zohran Mamdani, on Thursday will take the reins of the municipal government, sworn in first just after midnight on New Year’s Day. The state’s attorney general, Letitia James, will administer the first of two oaths of office in a semiprivate ceremony inside City Hall’s abandoned, subterranean subway station. Then, in the afternoon, he’ll take the oath of office a second time, upstairs in City Hall Plaza. To mark his ascent, Mamdani is hosting a block party on the streets of lower Manhattan.

Here are questions and answers about what his incipient administration has planned.

What is expected at the ceremony at City Hall Plaza?

There are 4,000 ticketed guests who will cram into the plaza to watch the ceremony, expected to start about 1 p.m., with guest Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who will administer the second oath of office. Speakers include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx/Queens).

What are the details of the party?

Thousands more are expected to watch Mamdani — the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor — from the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway, the events livestreamed on a number of large screens. His transition committee suggests RSVPing via transition2025.com/inauguration. "Doors open" at 11 a.m. (although, technically, there aren’t doors.)

The transition invites attendees to join "side by side with the community that made it all possible! Bring your friends and bundle up!"

The Canyon of Heroes has hosted more than 200 parades since the first, on Oct. 28, 1886, to dedicate the Statue of Liberty. Past honorees have included kings, war heroes, soldiers, presidents, a pope, a concert pianist and sea captains.

"This inauguration is a celebration of the movement we built, the mandate we won, and the city we are prepared to lead," Mamdani said in a statement provided by his transition team. "Working New Yorkers are at the heart of our agenda and we invite them to join us as we welcome this new era of politics to City Hall."

In addition to political speeches and Mamdani’s oath of office, what else will happen at the event?

Other citywide officials to be sworn in include Mark Levine, the comptroller-elect, and Jumaane Williams, who will begin his second term as the city’s elected public advocate. The ceremony’s inaugural poet will be Cornelius Eady, who has taught at Stony Brook University’s MFA Program at Southampton.

What’s the best way to get there?

Mass transit. The streets around lower Manhattan will be closed to motor vehicles to accommodate crowds in the street, and the congestion pricing toll (which Mamdani supports) will, of course, apply to vehicles driven into the toll zone.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.