Metropolitan Opera House Tickets From GoTickets

The five great arches glow against the night sky, the crystal chandeliers begin their slow ascent toward the ceiling, and nearly 4,000 opera lovers settle into one of the most magnificent auditoriums on Earth. This is the Metropolitan Opera House — the crown jewel of Lincoln Center, the largest repertory opera house in the world, and the home of the Metropolitan Opera since 1966. From Puccini and Verdi to bold world premieres and the American Ballet Theatre's annual summer residency, the Met stage has hosted the greatest voices, dancers, and productions in the performing arts for nearly six decades. The 2026–27 season features a stunning lineup of new productions, star-studded revivals, and a special 60th-anniversary gala celebrating the house itself. Secure your Metropolitan Opera House tickets from GoTickets and experience the grandeur of live opera and ballet at the world's most iconic stage. Every purchase is backed by our buyer guarantee.

Metropolitan Opera House Basics

Venue: Metropolitan Opera House

Location: 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023 (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

Opened: September 16, 1966

Architect: Wallace K. Harrison (Harrison & Abramovitz)

Capacity: 3,800 seats + 175 standing room (~3,975 total)

Distinction: Largest repertory opera house in the world

Resident Companies: Metropolitan Opera (September–May); American Ballet Theatre (June–July)

Music Director: Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director)

General Manager: Peter Gelb (Maria Manetti Shrem General Manager)

Part Of: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Notable Features: Two Marc Chagall murals, 11 Austrian crystal chandeliers, five-arch travertine façade

What's On at the Metropolitan Opera House

Metropolitan Opera — 2026–27 Season (September 2026 – May 2027)

The Metropolitan Opera's 2026–27 season features 17 productions — five new stagings and 12 repertory revivals — across approximately 193 performances. The season also marks the house's 60th anniversary with a special gala celebration. Here are the highlights:

New Productions:

Verdi's Macbeth (September 22 – October 20, 2026) — Opening night. A new staging by Louisa Proske in her Met debut. Lise Davidsen stars as Lady Macbeth opposite Quinn Kelsey in the title role. Nézet-Séguin conducts.

Missy Mazzoli's Lincoln in the Bardo (October 19 – November 14, 2026) — World premiere. Based on George Saunders's novel. Cast includes Christine Goerke, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Peter Mattei.

Puccini's La Fanciulla del West (December 31, 2026 – January 30, 2027) — The annual New Year's Eve Gala Premiere. Sondra Radvanovsky as Minnie, directed by Richard Jones.

Kevin Puts's Silent Night (March 8 – April 3, 2027) — Met premiere. Inspired by the true events of the 1914 Christmas truce. Elza van den Heever and Ben Bliss lead the cast.

Carlos Simon's In the Rush — World premiere, with libretto by Lynn Nottage and Ruby Aiyo Gerber.

Key Revivals: Puccini's La Bohème, Puccini's Tosca, Verdi's Aida, Verdi's Otello, Mozart's Così fan tutte, Mozart's The Magic Flute, Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, Massenet's Manon, Cherubini's Medea, Wagner's Parsifal, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila.

Special Events: 60th-anniversary gala, performances of Mahler's Eighth Symphony conducted by Nézet-Séguin, and the 20th season of The Met: Live in HD cinema transmissions worldwide.

American Ballet Theatre — 2026 Summer Season (June 17 – July 18)

Every summer, the Metropolitan Opera House becomes the home of American Ballet Theatre for a five-week residency that is one of the premier cultural events on the New York calendar. The 2026 season features 37 performances across four full-length classical productions:

Swan Lake — Opens the season June 17. Kevin McKenzie's production, led by Skylar Brandt as Odette/Odile and Herman Cornejo as Prince Siegfried. Returns for a second run July 13–18.

Onegin — John Cranko's emotionally powerful masterpiece returns June 23. Features Cory Stearns in a farewell performance on June 27.

Don Quixote — Brand-new staging by Susan Jaffe and Susan Jones, premiering June 29. Catherine Hurlin as Kitri, Isaac Hernández as Basilio. Scenery by Santo Loquasto.

Sylvia — Sir Frederick Ashton's elegant ballet returns to the Met stage.

The season also includes ABTKids (June 27), a one-hour introduction to ballet hosted by Misty Copeland. Browse Metropolitan Opera House tickets at GoTickets for opera and ballet performances alike.

History of the Metropolitan Opera House

The story of the Metropolitan Opera House begins not at Lincoln Center but on Broadway and 39th Street, where the original Met opened on October 22, 1883, with a performance of Gounod's Faust. For more than 80 years, that house served as the home of one of the world's great opera companies — staging legendary performances by Enrico Caruso, Arturo Toscanini, and Maria Callas — but its cramped backstage facilities were inadequate almost from the start. Plans for a new home were floated for decades, considered and rejected at Columbus Circle, Rockefeller Center, and elsewhere, before the creation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts finally made a new Met possible.

Architect Wallace K. Harrison designed a modernist masterpiece anchored by five soaring arches clad in white Italian travertine, making the opera house the centerpiece of Lincoln Center's campus. The Metropolitan Opera House opened on September 16, 1966, with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, starring the legendary soprano Leontyne Price. First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and an A-list audience of Vanderbilts, Whitneys, and diplomats filled the house. Inside, the lobby was — and remains — a work of art in itself: two monumental Marc Chagall murals, The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music, each measuring 30 by 36 feet, flank a sweeping cantilevered staircase. Eleven crystal "sputnik" chandeliers, a gift from the Austrian government in gratitude for American help rebuilding the Vienna State Opera after World War II, hang overhead like constellations. Before every performance, those chandeliers rise slowly to the ceiling as the house lights dim — a ritual that has become one of the most iconic moments in all of live theater.

In the six decades since, the Met stage has hosted the greatest voices of the modern era — from Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo to Renée Fleming, Anna Netrebko, and today's stars like Lise Davidsen and Nadine Sierra. The house also serves as the summer home of American Ballet Theatre, whose annual residency brings the world's finest classical dance to the Met's massive stage. With the 60th-anniversary gala on the horizon and a 2026–27 season featuring world premieres and beloved masterworks, the Metropolitan Opera House continues to stand at the pinnacle of the performing arts. Secure your Metropolitan Opera tickets at GoTickets and take your seat in one of the most beautiful rooms in the world.

The Metropolitan Opera House Experience

Attending a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House is one of New York City's great cultural experiences. The auditorium seats nearly 4,000 across the Orchestra, Parterre, Grand Tier, Dress Circle, Balcony, and Family Circle levels, and the acoustics are exceptional from virtually every seat. Arrive early to take in the lobby — the Chagall murals are visible from Lincoln Center Plaza through the arched windows, and up close they reveal extraordinary detail. The Met Opera Shop offers recordings, books, and memorabilia. Concessions serve wine, champagne, and light refreshments during intermission. Dress code is flexible: you'll see everything from black-tie to smart casual, with opening nights and galas skewing more formal.

Performances typically begin at 7:30 p.m. on weekday evenings and 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, with matinees at 1:00 p.m. on select days. Most operas run two to four hours including intermissions, so check the runtime before you go. The Met offers individual English and Spanish surtitles on small screens mounted on the seatback in front of every seat in the house — a feature that makes opera accessible regardless of the language being sung. Assistive listening devices, wheelchair-accessible seating, and audio description performances are available. Whether it's your first opera or your hundredth, an evening at the Metropolitan Opera House is unforgettable.

Parking & Transportation

The Metropolitan Opera House is located at 30 Lincoln Center Plaza on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The most convenient transit option is the New York City Subway — take the 1 train to 66th Street–Lincoln Center, which is steps from the plaza. Bus routes M5, M7, M11, M20, M66, and M104 also serve the area. For those driving, the Lincoln Center parking garage is located beneath the campus and can be accessed from West 62nd Street. Additional garages are available on nearby streets. Reserve your parking in advance through GoTickets for guaranteed access on performance nights.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is playing at the Metropolitan Opera House?

The Metropolitan Opera House hosts the Metropolitan Opera's season from September through May and American Ballet Theatre's summer season in June and July. The 2026–27 Met Opera season features 17 productions including world premieres of Lincoln in the Bardo and In the Rush, a new Macbeth starring Lise Davidsen, and revivals of La Bohème, Tosca, Aida, and more. ABT's 2026 summer season features Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Onegin, and Sylvia. Browse all available Metropolitan Opera House tickets at GoTickets.

Where is the Metropolitan Opera House?

The Metropolitan Opera House is located at 30 Lincoln Center Plaza on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. The nearest subway stop is 66th Street–Lincoln Center on the 1 train. The venue is the centerpiece of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, sharing the campus with David Geffen Hall, the David H. Koch Theater, Alice Tully Hall, and other cultural institutions.

How many seats does the Metropolitan Opera House have?

The Metropolitan Opera House has approximately 3,800 seats across six levels — Orchestra, Parterre, Grand Tier, Dress Circle, Balcony, and Family Circle — plus 175 standing room spots, for a total capacity of roughly 3,975. It is the largest repertory opera house in the world.

What should I wear to the Metropolitan Opera?

There is no strict dress code at the Metropolitan Opera House. You'll see a range of attire from business casual to formal wear. Opening nights and galas tend to be dressier occasions. For regular performances, smart casual is perfectly appropriate — think of it as a nice evening out in New York City.

Are there surtitles at the Met Opera?

Yes. The Metropolitan Opera House provides individual surtitle screens — called Met Titles — mounted on the seatback in front of every seat in the house. Translations are available in English and Spanish and can be turned on or off at your discretion, making opera accessible to audiences of all experience levels.

Where can I buy Metropolitan Opera House tickets?

You can purchase Metropolitan Opera House tickets right here at GoTickets. Browse available opera and ballet performances across the full season — from opening night of Macbeth in September to ABT's Swan Lake in summer — and buy with the confidence of our buyer guarantee. Whether you're after a world premiere, a beloved classic, or an evening of ballet, GoTickets makes it easy to find the perfect Metropolitan Opera tickets for your night at Lincoln Center.