New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has signed an emergency order preventing events, including concerts and food festivals, from being organized in city parks during the 2026 .
Mamdani’s order has already been adopted by the city parks department at the request of the NYPD, and new permits for special events on park properties will not be issued for the duration of the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 June.
The decision was made to ensure efficient deployment of police resources, since members of the NYPD are required to be on site for “large-scale special events.”
“To more effectively deploy police resources and control overtime costs, the NYPD has recommended that the Department deny certain permit applications for new events between June 11 , 2026 and July 19, 2026,” the order said.
Mamdani’s order could block any events with 20 or more people at require special permits to be hosted at NYC’s 100 featured parks, the New York Post reported, adding that such events could even include birthday celebrations.
Despite the Post‘s report, authorities indicated that events that do not require police presence will not be affected by the order.
“Please note that the emergency rule doesn’t mean that all permits will be denied during the FIFA period. It gives NYC Parks wider latitude when reviewing permits, and only pertains to large-scale events that require significant police presence,” NYC Parks Press Officer Greg McQueen was quoted as saying by Fox5.
“Demonstrations and events that were held the year before are exempt from the rule,” he added.
What events are affected?
According to the order, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is authorized to deny applications seeking permits for special events on park properties during the period if:
1. the event was not held in the 2025 calendar year,
2. the event is not a demonstration, and
3. the city parks department Commissioner determines, in consultation with NYPD, that the agencies do not have sufficient resources to ensure public safety and welfare at and around such an event.
Consequently, newly-planned concerts, food festivals, and other events will be affected by the order.
What events will be allowed?
Events that received permits in calendar year 2025, demonstrations, smaller events that do not require a police presence, and events proposed on dates prior to 1 June 2026 or after 19 July 2026 are not affected by the new rule, the order said.
What will be considered when reviewing permit applications?
Apart from the aforementioned criteria for allowing or denying permits, the NYPD Commissioner may reject applications based on environmental concerns, scheduling conflicts, or a location’s inability to accommodate specific events, such as those near zoos or pools.
FIFA World Cup matches in NYC
The New York / New Jersey area will see eight matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the MetLife Stadium being the venue.
The matches include five group stage matches, a Round of 32 match, a Round of 16 match, and the Final on July 19, 2026.
This is the highest number of matches assigned to any single host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
