Mayor Zohran Mamdani teamed up today with the Under the Radar Theater Festival to give away 1,500 free theater tickets to live performances at theaters across the five boroughs, part of a broader effort to make the arts more accessible and affordable for all New Yorkers.
The giveaway was launched at a ticket distribution event in Flatbush, where Mamdani personally handed out free passes to college students, local residents and theater fans outside the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College.
Under the Radar, one of the nation’s largest and most eclectic theater festivals, runs annually each January with a lineup of bold, experimental and multidisciplinary performances from both international and local artists. This year’s festival features more than 30 productions at 25 venues citywide, including Lincoln Center, La MaMa, New York Theatre Workshop, the Japan Society and other sites across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx.
The free tickets are being offered on a first-come, first-serve basis through the festival’s website and cover 12 performances as part of the 2026 roster. Audiences interested in claiming free seats can visit UTRfest.org/under-the-radar-for-all while supplies last.
At the celebration in Brooklyn, Mamdani emphasized that expanding access to live performance aligns with his broader agenda to make New York City more inclusive and affordable. “The arts are too often considered a luxury for the wealthy or a treat for the tourists, rather than a form of expression, joy and relaxation that every New Yorker deserves,” he said. “I am grateful for Under the Radar’s generosity and their work to share the experience of live theater citywide.”
Festival artistic leaders echoed the mayor’s sentiment, saying that free access to performances helps break down barriers for New Yorkers who might otherwise never attend live theater. “If Shakespeare is free, so should contemporary performance,” said Under the Radar Founding Artistic Director Mark Russell, highlighting the importance of bringing adventurous, non-commercial art to diverse audiences.
The initiative is part of Under the Radar’s 21st season, which runs from January 7 through January 25, 2026, and includes a wide array of shows spanning drama, dance, music, performance art and experimental theater. The festival has grown over more than two decades into a citywide celebration of innovative work that pushes creative boundaries and reflects global perspectives.
Among the productions participating in the free ticket program is Dream Feed, an electro-acoustic vocal work by The HawtPlates presented at the HERE Arts Center, along with additional selections from the broader UTR lineup.
Mamdani’s support for the festival marks a visible moment in his first weeks in office as mayor. It follows his administration’s focus on affordability and community programming, expanding beyond housing and childcare to include cultural access as an essential part of city life. Initiatives like free ticket distribution not only enrich the city’s cultural ecosystem but also help residents connect with the performing arts in personally meaningful ways.
The Under the Radar ticket giveaway offers an opportunity to experience the vibrant cultural life that defines New York City.
