New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced today, “Opera for All,” a long-term partnership between the city and the Metropolitan Opera (Met) which will grant 70,000 free tickets to the Met for qualified New York City residents. Starting this September, the Met will release 10,000 tickets each month for the rest of the 2026-2027 season.

The tickets will be distributed via a lottery system available on the Met’s app and website. Any NYC resident who has not purchased a ticket to the Met since 2019 is eligible to apply. The partnership between the Met and the Mayor’s office is part of a long-term initiative to boost the accessibility of the arts in NYC, and the program will continue next year with another 70,000 tickets.

The 70,000 tickets represent 10% of all tickets for the opera season. Tickets will be available for all seats except standing room. NYC residents can win up to six tickets a year, and two per performance. The 2026-2027 season includes performances of Macbeth, Lincoln in the Bardo, and La Bohème. Mayor Mamdani announced the news in conjunction with the Met on YouTube.

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“Opera is one of the greatest art forms we have, and there is no better place to experience it than the Metropolitan Opera House,” said Mayor Mamdani.

But 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’s in their bank account. From the rise of opera buffa in the 18th century to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s “people’s opera” in the 1940s, this art form was meant to be seen by everyone.

Sign-up for the lottery and more information about tickets is available here.