New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is using his multilingual skills to promote free Broadway tickets for high school students, with his Mandarin video drawing particular attention online.
Mamdani Uses Multiple Languages to Promote Broadway Tickets
Mamdani has teamed up with the Theatre Development Fund to promote a lottery offering more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets to New York City high school students.
The campaign featured Mamdani delivering the message in Mandarin, Spanish, Bengali and English, reflecting the city’s diverse population.
আমরা নিউ ইয়র্ক সিটির হাই স্কুল শিক্ষার্থীদের জন্য দুই হাজারের বেশি ফ্রি ব্রডওয়ে টিকেট দিচ্ছি।https://t.co/3aEqbt0cp5 https://t.co/tuBi2oDn5E pic.twitter.com/XCct2rgLcg
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) August 16, 2026
¡Mucha suerte!⁰https://t.co/3aEqbt0cp5 https://t.co/tuBi2oDn5E pic.twitter.com/aEObtVLkLI
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) August 14, 2026
People come to New York City from all over the world to experience Broadway. The kids who grow up here should be able to do the same.
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) August 13, 2026
We’re partnering with @TDFNYC to give away over 2,000 free Broadway tickets to NYC High School students through a free-to-enter lottery.
Break a… pic.twitter.com/JBIaWUDOxf
The lottery covers seven Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, while students who enter also receive a free two-month TDF membership with access to discounted tickets.
Read Also: QUICK SPARK: NYC Mayor Mamdani Named Florida's 'Economic Developer of the Year'
Zohran Mamdani’s Mandarin Gets Praise Online
While all four versions drew attention, the Mandarin video quickly became the standout.
Social media users were surprised by Mamdani’s pronunciation and his handling of Mandarin’s difficult tones.
演出现场见!https://t.co/3aEqbt0cp5 https://t.co/tuBi2oDn5E pic.twitter.com/qtIAMIMVlQ
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) August 16, 2026
State Sen. John Liu, who is fluent in Mandarin, gave Mamdani a "solid B" for his pronunciation, tones and emphasis, while jokingly giving him an "A+ for effort," the New York Times reported over the weekend.
But Mamdani’s Mandarin isn’t entirely new. He studied the language at the Bronx High School of Science between 2006 and 2010, although a spokeswoman told the publication that he has not seriously studied or spoken it since then.
Mamdani Previously Faced AI Questions Over Spanish
The mayor’s multilingual abilities have attracted scrutiny before.
During his campaign, Mamdani spoke Spanish in several videos, prompting Republican state Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz to question whether artificial intelligence had been used to enhance his fluency, the report noted.
Mamdani responded by releasing a blooper reel showing himself struggling to deliver the Spanish lines, offering a humorous rebuttal to the AI allegations.
Mamdani has also previously spoken Arabic, Hindi and Urdu while campaigning.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
