The Metropolitan Opera has unveiled its 2026–27 season, featuring five new productions, 12 repertory revivals, a 60th-anniversary gala at Lincoln Center, and performances of Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The company will present 17 productions across 193 performances — its smallest full season since moving to Lincoln Center in 1966. According to comments by General Manager Peter Gelb reported by the Associated Press, the reduced scale reflects financial recalibration following the pandemic, including a strategy of extended runs for popular titles and cost-control measures. A planned new production of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina has been postponed as part of budget tightening that has also included layoffs and temporary salary reductions.
Gelb, whose tenure began in 2006, indicated that he plans to retire when his current contract expires in 2030, marking the coming seasons as a significant late chapter in his leadership of the Met.
Opening night: Verdi’s Macbeth
The season opens on 22 September with a new production of Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi, directed by Louisa Proske in her company debut.
Soprano Lise Davidsen stars as Lady Macbeth opposite baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role. Tenor Freddie De Tommaso appears as Macduff and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as Banquo. Nézet-Séguin conducts.
World premiere: Lincoln in the Bardo
The season includes the world premiere of Lincoln in the Bardo, composed by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek, based on the Booker Prize–winning novel by George Saunders.
Baritone Peter Mattei portrays Abraham Lincoln, with soprano Christine Goerke and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo among the principal cast. The production is directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, with Nézet-Séguin on the podium.
Janáček’s Jenůfa
Director Claus Guth returns to stage Leoš Janáček’s Jenůfa, starring soprano Asmik Grigorian in the title role and soprano Nina Stemme as the Kostelnička. Tenors Allan Clayton and Sean Panikkar complete the principal cast. Conductor Tomáš Hanus makes his Met debut.
New Year’s Eve premiere: La Fanciulla del West
The annual New Year’s Eve gala introduces a new production of La Fanciulla del West by Giacomo Puccini, directed by Richard Jones.
Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky makes her role debut as Minnie, alongside tenor SeokJong Baek as Dick Johnson and baritone Christopher Maltman as Jack Rance. Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts.
Met premiere: Silent Night
The Pulitzer Prize–winning opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts, with a libretto by Mark Campbell, receives its Met premiere. Inspired by the 1914 Christmas truce during the First World War, the work will be conducted by Dalia Stasevska in her Met debut. The cast includes soprano Elza van den Heever and tenor Ben Bliss.
Diamond jubilee: 60 years at Lincoln Center
On 25 May 2027, the Met celebrates 60 years at Lincoln Center with a gala conducted by Nézet-Séguin and directed by Julian Crouch, featuring staged scenes from more than 30 operas and a roster of leading Met artists.
Repertory highlights and guest conductors
Among the 12 revivals are La Bohème, Tosca, Aida, Otello, Parsifal, Der Rosenkavalier, Maria Stuarda, Manon, Samson et Dalila, Medea, Così fan tutte, and The Magic Flute. Principal Guest Conductor Daniele Rustioni returns to conduct La Bohème, Tosca, and Otello.
The 20th season of The Met: Live in HD will feature eight transmissions, and the company’s Saturday Matinee radio broadcasts continue for a 96th consecutive year.
Individual tickets for the 2026–27 season start at $25, with subscription packages currently on sale.
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