New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani earned his landslide victory campaigning on affordability for New York City residents. And while lower rents and mass transit have yet to materialize; he does have a little something free for a handful of New Yorkers.
Partnering with the Under the Radar Festival, Mamdani is offering up 1,500 tickets across a dozen Off-Broadway productions.
Mayor Mamdani announced the initiative at a Brooklyn College press conference saying, “when I speak about making this city more affordable, my vision is not limited to the homes that we live in or the childcare we make universal; it’s also a vision where we make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression. And I’m so thankful for this incredible festival—for not only the work it has done in years past, but its commitment today in ensuring arts becomes that much more accessible for each and every New Yorker, especially those for whom it hasn’t been a reality. And this giveaway is a reminder that art is a form of connection, in a city that is both desperate for it and dependent on it. The shared laughter in a crowded theatre, the eager debrief after a musical, the heavy silence that hangs over all of us in a drama—these are moments that every New Yorker deserves.”
The 2026 Under the Radar Festival runs until January 25 and will offer over 225 performances of 0 productions across Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and The Bronx.
Under the Radar has not announced which productions are a part of the free ticket offer; however, fans interested in attending can go to UTRfest.org to fill out the form. Tickets are awarded on a first come first serve basis.
The Under the Radar Festival is designated a 21 and older event that presents experimental and avant-garde theatre.
Under the Radar Festival program:
“12 Last Songs”
“2021”
“All That Fall”
“Bellow”
“Benevolence”
“Birdie”
“DARKMATTER”
“DATA ROOM”
“Dream Feed”
“The Ford/Hill Project”
“Friday Night Rat Catchers”
“Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me”
“¡Harken!”
“In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat”
“Kanjincho”
“Llontop”
“Love Force”
“MAMI”
“NOTHING: more”
“PETRA” RECONSTRUCTING”
“The Rest Of Our Lives”
“A Tale of Fire and Flight” (Work-In-Progress)
“TECHNE Homecoming”
“TESTO”
“A Tribute to Big Mama Thornton”
“Try/Step/Trip”
“Ulysses”
“The Visitors”
“Voyage into Infinity”
“Watch Me Walk”
“We Have No Need of Other Worlds (We Need Mirrors)”