Suit, beard, and a Knicks Jersey: Inside NYC’s wild Zohran Mamdani 'lookalike' contest

The trend of viral celebrity/figure lookalike contests has officially landed on a unique political and cultural milestone, with hundreds of people gathering near New York City's Washington Square Park for NYC mayor, Zohran Mamdani look-alike contest.

Hundreds of spectators and hopefuls turned out near Washington Square Park, showcasing the growing popularity of viral, community-driven outdoor pop-up events in the city.

Out of the massive crowd, a narrower field of official contestants, around nine hopefuls, actively vied for votes and cheers from the audience by channeling the distinctive style and signature look.

The event was hosted to celebrate the New York launch of Sonder, a friendship-making app expanding from London, which offered small cash prizes ($100 for the winner and $50 for the runner-up) alongside the lighthearted competition.

As reported by the Guardian the trend first began in October 2024 in New York City's Washington Square Park when YouTuber Anthony Po plastered physical flyers all over NYC offering a $50 prize for the best Timothée Chalamet lookalike.

Thousands of fans and multiple Chalamet impersonators (including contestants dressed as Willy Wonka and Dune characters) showed up.

The real Timothée Chalamet actually showed up to his own contest, causing massive pandemonium before police broke it up and issued a fine to the organizers.

Buoyed by the viral success of the Chalamet event, the trend exploded globally, with organizers hosting similar low-stakes, community-driven contests for other famous figures.

Following the success of The Bear, lookalike contests popped up in Chicago and NYC. Hundreds of spectators watched hopefuls—many wearing white t-shirts, blue aprons, and holding cigarettes—compete for small cash prizes and bragging rights to become Jeremy Allen White lookalike.

Later, hundreds gathered in Dublin's Smithfield Square where men in short GAA athletic shorts competed to see who best channeled the Irish actor. The winner even received a surprise congratulatory phone call from the real Paul Mescal.

Similar pop-ups were organized worldwide for stars like Harry Styles in London, Zayn Malik in Brooklyn, Dev Patel in San Francisco, and Zendaya in Oakland.