Around the Music Festival

On September 24, New York City announced that it would distribute 10,000 free Metropolitan Opera tickets each month via a lottery. The tickets cover all seating sections, excluding standing-room areas. Over the course of the 2026–2027 season, a total of 70,000 tickets—representing approximately 10% of all available tickets—will be provided.

According to the announcement, this initiative is part of the ongoing “Opera for All” program and targets residents who have not purchased tickets to the Metropolitan Opera since 2019. It marks the second cultural policy initiative launched by Mayor Mamdani, following a program that distributed free Broadway tickets to local high school students via a lottery. Residents can enter the lottery online or through the opera house’s app.

In a statement, the mayor said, “Opera is one of the greatest art forms we have, and there is no better place to experience it than the Metropolitan Opera. However, art should not be the exclusive province of those who can afford it. Regardless of their bank account balance, every New Yorker should have the opportunity to sit in these seats, hear these voices, and experience this stage.”

PHOTO：NYC government