Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed to local outlet Hell Gate that he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will skip the 2026 Met Gala. He framed the decision as a way to keep his administration’s energy on “making the most expensive city in the United States affordable.” The move marks a break from a tradition of New York mayors attending the museum’s high‑profile fundraiser.

The gala, hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, kicks off the spring exhibition “Costume Art” on May 10. This year’s benefit is chaired by billionaire couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, underscoring the event’s reputation as a playground for the ultra‑wealthy. Past mayors—including Bloomberg, de Blasio and Eric Adams—have used the red carpet to signal support for cultural institutions, while progressive lawmakers have sometimes turned the spotlight toward policy messages.

Mamdani’s socialist platform centers on tax hikes for the wealthy and a push to curb the city’s soaring living costs. By opting out, he signals that his agenda on housing and taxation takes precedence over the publicity a Met Gala appearance might afford. The mayor’s stance reinforces his brand as a fiscal reformer rather than a gala‑going politician.