New York City‘s youngest and first Muslim Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is set to be sworn in on January 1, 2026. While his historic appointment has drawn headlines for several reasons over the past few weeks, Mamdani is also making news for his unconventional choice of location for a preliminary swearing-in ceremony ahead of the main event.
Mamdani to be sworn in at an abandoned subway station
Mamdani, who will be NYC’s 112th mayor, has chosen an underground, abandoned subway station in the city as the location for his midnight swearing in ceremony. The station, located beneath the city hall is symbolically resonant of the “inauguration of a new era”, Mamdani said.
Speaking about his location choice, he said, “It was a physical monument to a city that dared to be both beautiful and build great things that would transform working peoples’ lives”.
“That ambition need not be a memory confined only to our past, nor must it be isolated only to the tunnels beneath city hall: it will be the purpose of the administration fortunate enough to serve New Yorkers from the building above,” he added.
Hours later, Mamdani will celebrate the start of his tenure during the formal inauguration ceremony on the steps of City Hall, which will be accompanied by a block party through the Canyon of Heroes, which will likely be attended by tens of thousands of New Yorkers, according to amny.com
What else do we know about the station?
According to The Guardian, the station was first opened in 1904 as one of the city’s 28 original stations and was decommissioned in 1945 as the system was modernised. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1979 and put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
‘Humbled by the opportunity to lead millions of New Yorkers’
Mamdani has expressed his gratitude for the opportunity. He added that he was “humbled by the opportunity to lead millions of New Yorkers into a new era of opportunity, and honoured to carry forward our city’s legacy of greatness”.
Mamdani will succeed outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who had held the post since January 1, 2022.