Knicks parade lottery: NYC giving away 600 free tickets to Thursday's City Hall championship ceremony

New York City is giving away 600 tickets to Thursday’s Knicks ceremony in a lottery running through Wednesday morning.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced fans can register on the Knicks website, Knicks.com/CeremonySweeps, for a chance to win tickets to the City Hall ceremony where the Knicks will be given the key to the city.

The lottery will be open until 11 a.m. to select 300 winners who will each receive two tickets, the mayor’s office said. Winners will be notified Wednesday after the lottery is closed. Tickets will be transferred to the winning fans Ticketmaster accounts and are not transferable.

"From packed watch parties in our parks to joyous celebrations that spilled out onto our streets, this championship belongs to New York City," Mamdani said in a statement. "The Knicks brought together New Yorkers from every borough and every walk of life. That’s why we’re making these tickets free and accessible — so working-class people have a chance to be part of this historic moment and celebrate the team that brought a championship home."

The ticker-tape parade will begin at 10 a.m. in Battery Park, which will move north up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to the ceremony at City Hall.

The City Hall ceremony is only open to ticket holders and will feature Knicks players and coaches, with musical performances and speeches to celebrate the team’s first NBA Finals title in 53 years. Ticket holders can enter the plaza at City Hall at 9 a.m. ahead of the ceremony at noon.

The Knicks first ticker-tape parade ever is free and expected to draw thousands, if not millions, of spectators. Paradegoers are urged to arrive at least two hours in advance and the city will allow fans to line up on Broadway starting at 6 a.m.

All spectators to the parade and ceremony will be screened by police. Backpacks, glass bottles, strollers, chairs and umbrellas are not allowed during the festivities. Plastic water bottles are permitted.

Public transportation is encouraged as no parking will be allowed south of Canal Street and traffic will be closed, according to the mayor’s office.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.