Experiencing world-class culture in New York City just got a whole lot more accessible.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a major initiative with the Metropolitan Opera to distribute 70,000 free tickets to NYC residents this season, expanding access to one of the city’s most legendary cultural institutions.
How to enter the free Met Opera ticket lottery
City officials will release 10,000 free tickets every month through a digital lottery running through early June.
The lottery opens access to seats across all seating sections inside the iconic Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center—not just the back row.
Winners can attend major upcoming productions, including Macbeth, Lincoln in the Bardo, and La Bohème.
While the initiative focuses heavily on reaching first-time opera-goers and communities historically unable to attend, New Yorkers can enter and win multiple times throughout the season.
A permanent annual partnership for the city
This isn’t a one-time pop-up. The city established a permanent annual partnership with the Met, guaranteeing tens of thousands of free tickets to New Yorkers every single season moving forward.
The program revives a deep tradition of democratic arts access in the city, recalling Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s ‘people’s Opera’ initiative from the 1940s.
Where to sign up right now
The official registration portal is already live. New Yorkers can sign up for the monthly drawing directly through the city’s portal.