New York City and the Metropolitan Opera have launched “Opera for All,” a new partnership that will distribute 70,000 free tickets during the 2026-27 season. The initiative is designed to introduce the Met to New Yorkers who have not attended a performance there in recent years. The program was announced by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij.
Beginning in September, the Metropolitan Opera will make 10,000 tickets available each month through a lottery, accounting for roughly 10% of its season capacity. Eligible New Yorkers can enter through the Met Opera app or the city’s designated online portal. Residents who have not purchased a Met Opera ticket since 2019 can participate. Tickets will be offered throughout the house, although standing-room tickets are excluded.
The program covers productions scheduled for the 2026-27 season, including Macbeth, Lincoln in the Bardo and La Bohème. The Metropolitan Opera has also committed to continuing the initiative in future seasons, extending the effort beyond the current program.
City agencies and community organizations will help publicize the lottery and connect residents with the opportunity. Outreach partners include the Department of Social Services, New York City Housing Authority, New York City Public Schools, the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, the City University of New York, the Department for the Aging and the Situation Project.
The Metropolitan Opera said the initiative builds on its efforts to bring new audiences into its Lincoln Center home. The Met has 3,800 seats, and its current average paid attendance is about 75%, allowing available seats to be used for the free-ticket program.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez welcomed the partnership, saying it creates another avenue for students to engage with one of New York’s major cultural institutions. Situation Project founder Damian Bazadona likewise highlighted the opportunity for young New Yorkers and emerging creatives to experience performances at the Met.
The initiative also follows earlier city efforts to expand access to cultural events. During the summer, the administration partnered with the Theater Development Fund to provide free and reduced-cost Broadway and off-Broadway tickets to high school students, alongside memberships to more than 20 cultural institutions.
“Opera for All” now offers another route for eligible New Yorkers to experience one of the city’s major performing-arts institutions through a recurring lottery.
