How to watch, attend Mamdani's swearing-in ceremony and block party this week
Mamdani to be sworn in by Sen. Bernie Sanders
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in by Attorney General Letitia James at midnight, and by Sen. Bernie Sanders during a public inauguration on Jan. 1. FOX 5 NY's Dan Bowens and Robert Moses react on Newsroom Live.
NEW YORK - New York City’s next mayor will be sworn in at Old City Hall Station during a private midnight ceremony.
What we know:
Just before midnight on Thursday, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in during a private ceremony at the Old City Hall subway station, one of the city’s oldest and most storied transit sites.
SKIP TO: INAUGURATION | HOW TO WATCH
Here’s what to know about the historic inauguration:
A midnight moment below City Hall
Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, during an election night event at The Brooklyn Paramount Theater in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
Mamdani will take the oath of office moments before the New Year begins at Old City Hall Station, which first opened in 1904 as one of the city’s original 28 subway stations. Attorney General Letitia James will administer the oath, joined by the mayor-elect’s family.
The setting reflects Mamdani’s message about the city he says he wants to lead — one built by and for working New Yorkers.
"The New York City subway system is the lifeblood of New York," Mamdani said in a statement, calling the station a reminder that bold public ambition should not be confined to the past.
Where is Old City Hall Station?
The long-abandoned Old City Hall subway station sits beneath City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan, just south of the Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station on the 6 line.
The public can glimpse the station by staying on a downtown 6 train as it loops back uptown, or visit it up close through limited walking tours offered by the New York Transit Museum.
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Mamdani's Inauguration
New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Later that day, Mamdani will host what his team calls the "Inauguration of a New Era," a public swearing-in ceremony and citywide celebration.
By the numbers:
The daytime event will feature a formal ceremony on the steps of City Hall, followed by a large block party along Broadway in the historic Canyon of Heroes. Tens of thousands of people are expected, with designated viewing areas allowing the public to watch and participate.
The expanded celebration marks a departure from tradition. Past mayoral inaugurations were typically limited to about 4,000 ticketed guests inside City Hall Plaza.
For the first time, the public will also be invited to gather along Broadway for a citywide block party, a move organizers say is designed to make the inauguration accessible to all New Yorkers.
Who will be there?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 26: New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during an election rally with Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at Forest Hills Stadium on October 26, 2025 in t
Mamdani will be sworn in by two political figures he has described as inspirations.
Attorney General Letitia James will administer the oath during the private midnight ceremony. Sen. Bernie Sanders will deliver the oath of office at the public daytime ceremony.
Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, center right, Letitia James, New York's attorney general, left, and Brad Lander, New York City comptroller, second left, carry a banner across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, US, on Monday, Nov. 3, 20
Mamdani cited James’ commitment to the rule of law and Sanders’ progressive values as key influences on his political path.
"When I take my oath from the station at the dawn of the New Year," Mamdani said, "I will do so humbled by the opportunity to lead millions of New Yorkers into a new era of opportunity."
How to watch Mamdani's Inauguration
Tickets are not required, but RSVPs are required to attend in person or watch online.
New Yorkers must register in advance to attend the in-person inauguration block party and or to watch the ceremony via the free livestream.
Registration for the in-person block party covers you and your household, with no need to register each person individually. Those who RSVP for the livestream will receive a viewing link on the day of the ceremony.
What time is the Inauguration?
NEW YORK - JANUARY 1: Crowds listen to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's inaugural speech after he took the oath of office administered by New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman January 1, 2010 at City Hall in New York City. Bloomberg laun
The swearing-in ceremony begins at 1 p.m. spectators are encouraged to arrive between 11 a.m. and noon for the best viewing spots.
Where to watch
- Liberty Street and Church Street
- Liberty Street and Nassau Street
Additional viewing options
The mayor-elect’s transition team will also host a separate viewing block party near City Hall Plaza, featuring large jumbotrons for live, in-person viewing.
Registration is required for this event as well and, as with the main block party, covers you and your household.
Will Mayor Eric Adams attend?
New York City Mayor Eric Adams gestures as he leaves a press conference at City Hall following meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming "border czar" Tom Homan, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
The other side:
It remains unclear whether outgoing Mayor Eric Adams will attend Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony.
The two have had a strained relationship in recent weeks, marked by public friction and overlapping official actions.
Mamdani and Adams swore in separate FDNY commissioners just days apart, underscoring broader political differences between the outgoing and incoming administrations. Adams’ office has not publicly confirmed whether he plans to attend the inauguration, and Mamdani’s team has not commented on the matter.
The Source: This report is based on information from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition team, previous reporting from FOX 5 NY and the New York Transit Museum.