New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji will reportedly skip the 2025 Met Gala, breaking a long-standing tradition of mayoral attendance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s premier fundraiser. Sources suggest the decision stems from a conflict between Mamdani’s socialist political platform and the event's association with billionaire sponsors, specifically Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez-Bezos.
The absence of the city's highest official from the Costume Institute's benefit highlights a growing ideological rift between New York's new progressive leadership and the elite circles of the art and fashion worlds. While the gala remains a massive financial engine for the Met, Mamdani’s boycott signals a shift in how city hall engages with high-society cultural institutions and their wealthy patrons.