Mayor Mamdani gives out 1,500 free Under the Radar tickets in Brooklyn

New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, handed out QR-coded vouchers for free tickets to the Under the Radar theater festival on Hillel Place in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, saying culture should be more accessible. The festival, which presents experimental work, is running through Jan.

25. Mamdani, elected on an affordability agenda that highlighted free buses and child care, persuaded the festival to make 1,500 free tickets available and spent about 20 minutes at a folding table meeting passers-by, posing for selfies and handing out beanies. He said “the shared laughter in a crowded theater… these are moments that every New Yorker deserves,” and argued that affordability should include “lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression.” The giveaway included tickets distributed online; Mark Russell, the festival’s founder and director, said the idea came after a dinner where Under the Radar was discussed and the mayor’s staff reached out.

Twelve producers and presenters agreed to participate, some providing extra capacity or additional performances. Attendees and organizers, including Rachel Chavkin, described interactions with people who had never heard of the festival and were thrilled by free access.

Key Topics

Culture, Zohran Mamdani, Flatbush, Brooklyn College, Mark Russell, Rachel Chavkin