{"id":355770,"date":"2026-09-24T15:32:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T15:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/355770\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T15:32:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T15:32:07","slug":"mayor-mamdani-launches-opera-for-all-bringing-70000-free-metropolitan-opera-tickets-to-new-yorkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/355770\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Mamdani Launches \u201cOpera for All,\u201d Bringing 70,000 Free Metropolitan Opera Tickets to New Yorkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2013 Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Diya Vij today announced \u201cOpera for All<\/a>,\u201d a long-term partnership between the City and the Metropolitan Opera that will provide 70,000 free tickets this season to New Yorkers who have never attended a performance at the Met.<\/p>\n

Beginning this month, the Met will release 10,000 tickets each month throughout the 2026-27 season, about 10% of all tickets for the season. New Yorkers can enter the monthly lottery at on.nyc.gov\/opera<\/a> or through the Met\u2019s app. This season\u2019s performances include Macbeth, Lincoln in the Bardo and La Boh\u00e8me.<\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani announced the partnership in a video filmed on the Met\u2019s stage with the cast of La Boh\u00e8me. Watch the video here: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FckhbDho1rE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOpera is one of the greatest art forms we have, and there is no better place to experience it than the Metropolitan Opera House,\u201d said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. \u201cBut art should not be reserved for those who can afford it. Every New Yorker should have the opportunity to sit in these seats, hear these voices and experience this stage, no matter what\u2019s in their bank account. From the rise of opera buffa in the 18th century to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia\u2019s \u201cpeople\u2019s opera\u201d in the 1940s, this art form was meant to be seen by everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout its storied history, the Met has culturally enriched New York,\u201d said Peter Gelb, the Met\u2019s General Manager. \u201cWith this new initiative, we hope to further demonstrate that the Met is a vital part of life in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEconomic justice means access to the things that make a city worth living in,\u201d said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. \u201cToo many New Yorkers have walked past Lincoln Center their whole lives and never gone inside. This season, tens of thousands of them will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Met Opera\u2019s iconic stage is one that too many New Yorkers have yet to experience for themselves. Thanks to this partnership, that\u2019s about to change,\u201d said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij. \u201cOpera has a long history of welcoming working people of all ages. With \u2018Opera for All,\u2019 we\u2019re getting back to these roots and letting all New Yorkers know that the incredible work on this stage is for them, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Met has committed to continuing Opera for All in future seasons. Tickets will be available in every section of the house, excluding standing room. Any New Yorker who has not purchased a Met Opera ticket since 2019 is eligible to enter the lottery. Additional pathways to distributing tickets directly to New Yorkers will also be made available in the months ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The City is helping distribute tickets this season.\u202fThe City will promote the lottery through DSS, NYCHA, New York City Public Schools, Brooklyn Public Library, The New York Public Library, Queens Public Library,\u202fCUNY, and DFTA, and through the Situation Project.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The announcement builds on the Mamdani administration\u2019s commitment to making New York\u2019s arts and culture accessible to all New Yorkers. Earlier this summer, in partnership with the Theater Development Fund, Mayor Mamdani provided thousands of free and low-cost Broadway and off-Broadway tickets to high school students, along with free memberships to more than 20 cultural institutions across the City.<\/p>\n

The Metropolitan Opera employs approximately 3,000 people, including performers, musicians, carpenters, wigmakers and ticket sellers. Fifteen unions represent its workforce.<\/p>\n

In the video announcing \u201cOpera for All,\u201d Mayor Mamdani also cited Mayor Fiorello La Guardia\u2019s commitment to making opera accessible to New Yorkers. In 1943, Mayor La Guardia helped establish New York City Center as a home for what he called \u201cThe People\u2019s Opera,\u201d with tickets priced from 75 cents to $2.<\/p>\n

New Yorkers can enter the monthly lottery at on.nyc.gov\/opera<\/a>. More information about the Metropolitan Opera is available at metopera.org.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe arts are one of the great joys of living in New York City and every New Yorker should have access to the cultural experiences that make our city so vibrant,\u201d said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. \u201cNYCHA residents are a vital part of the city\u2019s artistic and cultural fabric and I hope they will take part in this lottery for a chance to enjoy the transformative experience of live opera at the Met.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York City is home to some of the world\u2019s finest cultural institutions, including the Met Opera, and every New Yorker should have the opportunity to experience the best the city has to offer,\u201d said DSS Commissioner Erin Dalton. \u201cWe are proud to work with DCLA and the Met Opera to provide free tickets to our clients so that they can experience the wonders of the opera.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe arts and our city\u2019s cultural institutions are an important part of building a more age-inclusive city,\u201d said NYC Aging Commissioner Lisa Scott-McKenzie. \u201cAt older adult centers across the city, we see how creative programs can promote well-being, foster connection, and reduce social isolation. \u2018Opera for All\u2019 expands that opportunity by opening the doors of the Metropolitan Opera to more New Yorkers. I applaud Mayor Mamdani, the Met and the Department of Cultural Affairs for helping ensure New Yorkers of every age can participate in the cultural offerings of our city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic libraries are among the most democratic institutions in our society, and providing access to learning and culture is at the heart of our mission,\u201d said Linda E. Johnson, Anthony W. Marx, and Dennis M. Walcott, the presidents of Brooklyn, New York and Queens Public Libraries. \u201cWe are pleased to join Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij in supporting \u2018Opera\u202ffor All.\u2019 This program reflects a shared commitment to making the arts more accessible and ensuring that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to experience a performance at the\u202fMetropolitan\u202fOpera, one of the city\u2019s \u2013 and the world\u2019s \u2013 great cultural institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Opera for All\u2019 promises a new avenue of access for CUNY students to broaden their perspectives through engagement with our city\u2019s rich arts institutions,\u201d said CUNY Chancellor F\u00e9lix V. Matos Rodr\u00edguez. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Mayor Mamdani and the Metropolitan Opera for making these performances more accessible to CUNY students and all New Yorkers. I urge those who haven\u2019t yet experienced the joy of attending a production at the Met to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity to attend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOpening doors to NYC students, the next generation of creatives, to the amazing performances featured at the Metropolitan Opera is an incredible step forward in welcoming them into the city\u2019s artistic fold in their own backyards. We couldn\u2019t be more excited for them,\u201d said Damian Bazadona, Founder of Situation Project.<\/p>\n

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