Why did Mamdani decline the invitation to the 2026 Met Gala? According to many, the Bezos couple are involved

There are events that go beyond fashion or culture and over the years have become symbols of entire cities. In Milan there’s Fuorisalone, in London there’s Frieze Art and the Notting Hill Carnival, and in New York there’s the Met Gala. Over time, what was once an extremely elegant evening has become the pinnacle of the New York social calendar and, in part, of the entire world. All thanks to the massive machinery of anticipation, spectacle, and social networking built by Anna Wintour. With such momentum, it was only natural that the city’s mayor would be regularly invited. What is less normal is for the mayor to refuse to attend. And that’s exactly what happened this year.

For entire generations, one could say, the city’s mayors — from Bloomberg to de Blasio to Eric Adams — were fixed presences, and the Met Gala had a political undertone, being tied to one of New York’s oldest cultural institutions. It is perhaps precisely for this reason that Zohran Mamdani, the new democratic socialist mayor with his fight against inequality and the cost of living, decided to decline the invitation for himself and his wife.

What Happened

Last Thursday, Mamdani personally confirmed in an interview with Hell Gate that neither he nor his wife Rama Duwaji will attend this year’s Met Gala, which — notably — is different from previous editions as it is sponsored for the first time by the billionaire couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez-Bezos, who will also serve as honorary chairs of the evening.

The mayor justified his absence in a laconic manner, saying only: “My focus is on affordability and making the most expensive city in America a place where people can still live.” He clarified that this is not due to disapproval of the event or the museum — which he says he admires — but made it clear between the lines that, given his policies and ideals, his participation would have been out of place.

Does His Decision Make Sense?

For a mayor who has built his political identity on the reduction of inequality, sitting at a table with billionaires and celebrities wearing dresses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars would indeed have appeared hypocritical. Attending the Met Gala, a notoriously exclusive and extremely expensive event even if culturally oriented, would have risked sending a contradictory message precisely while the city suffers from a housing crisis and an ever-widening economic divide.

The choice is even more significant considering that in the past some progressives had used the same platform to send strong messages: just think of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dress with the phrase “Tax the Rich” in 2021, which sparked a storm of controversy. Mamdani has effectively chosen to focus on substance without making compromises. This decision makes even more sense given that this is the first Met Gala taking place under the metaphorical banner of Jeff Bezos.

The sponsorship by Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos is indeed not a negligible detail, as it perhaps represents the most significant step in the infiltration of tech oligarchs into the fashion industry and high-profile cultural events. For years the Met Gala was perceived as a territory of American cultural liberalism, an event dominated by designers, actors, artists, and progressive intellectuals mixing with the ultra-wealthy for the common goal of supporting the museum. With the Bezoses setting the tone of the evening — especially in the midst of the most controversial phase of Trump’s second presidency — the music has definitely changed.

Fashion and the Techno-Elites

There has been much talk this year about how the Bezos-Sánchez couple intends to extend their reach into fashion, especially over Vogue. According to rumors reported by the Daily Mail, Jeff Bezos is considering acquiring Condé Nast and creating a position for Lauren Sánchez at Vogue, taking advantage of Anna Wintour’s upcoming departure. The Newhouse family, which has owned Condé Nast since 1959 through Advance Publications, has denied the rumor, but several internal sources appear convinced otherwise. According to an article published on Substack by Rob Shuter, even Lauren Sánchez’s appearance at Paris Fashion Week was allegedly part of a precise strategy — a message directed at the entire fashion system.

In general, big capital from Silicon Valley and e-commerce seems increasingly interested in fashion. Just look at Mark Zuckerberg’s presence at Prada this year. This is both an attempt by universally unpopular billionaire-celebrities to insert themselves into pop culture (a protest against Bezos has already been announced for this year’s Met Gala) and a business relationship, given the many partnerships that companies like Meta or Google are forging with the fashion industry to open the major and controversial chapter of wearable tech.

Mamdani’s choice to stay out of the entire Met Gala circus should therefore be read as an explicit rejection of the classic institutional script. While tech billionaires turn fashion into yet another extension of their economic power, the socialist mayor reminds us that the real priority of a city is not to polish the image of the rich, but to guarantee everyone a dignified existence. But try explaining that to Jeff Bezos.