Mamdani and the Met launch programme offering 70,000 free opera tickets

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Metropolitan Opera have announced Opera for All, a new initiative that will distribute 70,000 free tickets to New Yorkers during the 2026–27 season.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Metropolitan Opera have launched Opera for All, a new programme offering 70,000 free tickets to New Yorkers during the 2026–27 season.

The initiative, announced on 24 September at the Metropolitan Opera House, will make approximately 10 per cent of the Met’s tickets for the season available free of charge.

Under the programme, 10,000 tickets will be released each month through a lottery. Seats will be distributed throughout the auditorium, excluding standing room.

New Yorkers who have not purchased a ticket to the Metropolitan Opera since 2019 will be eligible to participate.

“Opera is one of the greatest art forms we have,” Mamdani said. “Every New Yorker should have the opportunity to experience live opera, regardless of income or background.”

The city plans to promote the programme through a network of public institutions, including New York City Public Schools, the City University of New York, the New York City Housing Authority, public libraries and the Department for the Aging.

The Met said Opera for All is intended to continue beyond the 2026–27 season, although the number of free tickets to be offered in subsequent seasons has not been specified.

A $1.5 billion campaign

The initiative was unveiled as the Metropolitan Opera announced Make the Met Forever, a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign aimed at securing the company’s long-term financial future.

The Met has already received more than $400 million in commitments towards the campaign, including several major gifts and pledges.

The two announcements place audience access and financial sustainability at the centre of the company’s strategy: while undertaking the largest fundraising effort in its history, the Met is also making a substantial share of its seats available to New Yorkers who have not recently attended performances.

“With this new initiative, we hope to further demonstrate that the Met is a vital part of life in the city,” Met General Manager Peter Gelb said.

Mamdani linked Opera for All to an earlier New York tradition of making the performing arts more widely accessible. In 1943, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia helped establish New York City Center as a venue offering affordable opera and other performances.

“Opera for All will help to reinforce the invaluable role the Met plays in the cultural life of the city,” Mamdani said.