Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler have canceled a planned fundraiser concert for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the event failed to attract enough ticket buyers.
The fundraiser was supposed to bring together two major names in entertainment for an evening at the Ed Sullivan Theater, with the proceeds going toward supporting Mamdani’s political mission.
Organizers had hoped the star power of Streisand and Midler would make the event a major attraction for supporters. Instead, the fundraiser struggled to gain momentum, with ticket sales remaining far below expectations.
The concert was scheduled for one week after Stephen Colbert’s final episode, adding another layer of attention to what organizers had hoped would be a high-profile evening.
Tickets, however, came with a significant price tag.
The cheapest tickets were reportedly listed at $1,500, while premium options were priced as high as $6,000 and $7,000.
According to a source familiar with the event, only 10 tickets had been sold over the previous six months.
With the event approaching and sales showing little sign of improving, organizers ultimately decided to cancel the fundraiser rather than continue with an event that could leave much of the venue empty.
Alex Bruno of the NYC GOP criticized the organizers for setting the ticket prices so high.
“It wasn’t easy to expect that New Yorkers would pay thousands of dollars to support a political agenda,” Bruno said. “Those days are over, and they expected New Yorkers to do what?”
Bruno argued that the pricing strategy effectively limited the event to a small group of wealthy donors.
“Even $1,500 is a tremendous amount of money for a single ticket,” he said. “Then you have people being asked to spend $6,000 or $7,000 for premium access. You can’t expect that everyone is going to line up for that.”
The fundraiser was intended to generate financial support while giving attendees an opportunity to see two legendary performers in an intimate venue.
Instead, the high prices appear to have become one of the biggest obstacles to attracting an audience.
Organizers had reportedly hoped that sales would increase closer to the event, but the anticipated rush never came.
The cancellation has sparked discussion about the changing nature of political fundraising, particularly events that depend heavily on celebrity appearances and expensive tickets.
Streisand and Midler have both participated in numerous high-profile charitable and political events throughout their careers, making their involvement a major selling point for the fundraiser.
But even two famous performers were unable to overcome the lack of demand for tickets at the prices being offered.
Bruno said the organizers should have considered making the event more accessible.
“If you want people to support your cause, you have to make it possible for people to participate,” he said. “Not everyone has several thousand dollars sitting around for a concert.”
The cancellation leaves Mamdani’s fundraising effort without what was expected to be one of its more prominent celebrity-backed events.
For the organizers, the experience may serve as a reminder that celebrity power doesn’t automatically translate into ticket sales, especially when admission costs thousands of dollars.
The event was supposed to bring together music, politics and some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Instead, it ended up being canceled before the stars ever took the stage.
