According to a source, Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will skip the Met Gala held on May 4, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. They revealed the reason behind his potential absence and how it has to do with his beliefs against billionaires. Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, are the lead sponsors and co-chairs of the event. It will be the biggest fashion event in New York.
Zohran Mamdani declines Met Gala invitation, reports claim
Sources told Page Six that Mamdani and his wife, Duwaji, won’t attend the Met Gala, as previous mayors of New York have done. Stating the reason behind his absence, they said, “He’s not coming. And it would be foolish if he did … can you imagine? It goes against everything he believes in.” Here, the beliefs in question are Mamdani’s earlier statements about billionaires during his historic campaign.
He voiced concerns about economic inequality, suggesting that the country shouldn’t have billionaires. “Because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,” he said. According to the source, his earlier statements could be contradicted if he ends up making an appearance at the biggest fashion event, which could undermine his previous stance.
A New York socialite, however, believes that Mamdani should attend the Met Gala, as it’s a significant part of the culture of the city he leads now. “It’s such a New York institution. I think he should go. It’s a very New York moment,” they said.
This year, the Met Gala theme is “Costume Art.” The guests are asked to go by the “Fashion is art” dress code. They are said “to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history,” per The Met website.
Originally written by Shazmeen Navrange on Mandatory.
