When 2025 becomes 2026, the mayoralty of New York City will pass from Eric Adams to Zohran Mamdani.
It’s unclear where Mr. Mamdani will take the formal oath of office, which he is expected to do around midnight on Jan. 1.
But later that day, at 1 p.m., Mr. Mamdani will hold a public swearing-in ceremony on the steps of City Hall, alongside a party spanning seven blocks of Broadway in Lower Manhattan between Murray and Liberty Streets. (Broadway runs alongside City Hall.)
There will be 4,000 tickets for the event at City Hall. The neighboring party will be able to accommodate another 40,000 spectators, who will be able to watch the proceedings on large screens.
That the transition team is expecting such a staggering number of supporters to show up for an outdoor celebration on a winter’s day is a testament to the groundswell that drove Mr. Mamdani into office and made him a figure of worldwide appeal.
Mr. Mamdani won the election with the help of a volunteer army of about 100,000, a magnitude unrivaled in the city’s modern history. His transition team expects that many of those volunteers will want to witness the inauguration in real time.
“This inauguration is a celebration of the movement we built, the mandate we won and the city we are prepared to lead,” Mr. Mamdani said in a statement. “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.”
While the block party represents a new wrinkle in New York’s timeworn inaugural traditions, the rest of Mr. Mamdani’s plans seem relatively conventional.
In 2022, Mr. Adams canceled his plans to be sworn in at Kings Theater in Brooklyn, which he intended to be a nod to voters outside of Manhattan who elected him. He opted to take his midnight oath in Times Square, amid an annual New Year’s celebration that was muted yet still festive. His predecessor, Bill de Blasio, held a swearing-in ceremony on the steps of City Hall. So, too, did Michael R. Bloomberg.
The news release announcing the party for Mr. Mamdani promised musical performances and “interfaith elements,” as well as remarks from Mr. Mamdani; the incoming city comptroller, Mark Levine; and New York’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams.
The block party will not feature heating tents, a spokeswoman for the transition team confirmed. The team did not provide estimates on how much the event would cost, but Mr. Mamdani is aiming to raise $4 million for his transition, which has team has said will largely go toward personnel and overhead costs.
It remains unclear how many police officers will be on hand to staff the event. The Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
It is also unclear whether the celebration will include an appearance by Mr. Adams, who has made no bones about his distaste for Mr. Mamdani’s politics. Earlier this month, Mr. Adams expressed concern that Mr. Mamdani’s supporters might behave in an unwelcoming fashion at the inauguration. They could be “nasty,” he said.
Mr. Adams had not yet decided whether to attend Mr. Mamdani’s inauguration, he said at the time.
“That’s a special day for him, and if I’m going to add in any way to a disruptive atmosphere, of the yells and the screams, I don’t want to do that,” Mr. Adams said.
But in an interview that aired later, he sounded a more positive note.
“I would love to go and show my support of the smooth transition of power,” Mr. Adams said.
Dana Rubinstein covers New York City politics and government for The Times.
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