NEW YORK (AP) – The Metropolitan Opera (Met) has reported a slight drop in season attendance, a trend correlated with the Trump administration’s immigration policies and a decrease in tourist numbers visiting New York City. The Met managed to sell 72% of its seating capacity for the latest season, which is lower than the original projection of 75% for the 2023-24 season.
Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Met, expressed disappointment over the sales figures, particularly in the final two months of the season. He attributed the lower-than-expected sales to a notable decline in tourism, which has affected ticket sales sharply. The New York City Tourism & Conventions agency recently downgraded its projection for international visitors in 2025 by 17%, further impacting the opera's attendance.
International sales for the Met accounted for only 11% of total ticket sales, a significant drop from the expected 16% and well below the pre-pandemic figure of approximately 20%. Gelb stated, “It’s unfortunate, but this is the times in which we live,” highlighting the ongoing challenges in the current environment.
Financially, when considering ticket discounts, the Met reported that it realized only 60% of its potential income, down from 64% last season but an improvement over the 57% reported for the 2022-23 season. Gelb noted, “We were able to sell an equal amount of tickets the last year, but there were more discounted tickets,” indicating how discounts have influenced revenue.
In terms of audience engagement, the Met saw 76,000 new ticket buyers this season, compared to 85,000 in 2023-24. Additionally, the average age of single ticket buyers remained at 44, consistent with the previous season but reflecting a decrease from an average of 50 pre-pandemic. Subscription ticket sales accounted for only 7% of total sales, a decline from the previous range of 12-15% before the pandemic began.
Gelb also noted that ongoing economic uncertainty has affected ticket sales for the upcoming season. The volatility of the stock market has contributed to a sense of insecurity among potential attendees. “In one week we saw an enormous decline in our advance for next season. Then it picked up again,” he remarked.
In terms of executive compensation, Met’s music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin earned $2,045,038 for the fiscal year ending July 31, an increase from $1,307,583 in the previous year. Gelb's earnings were reported at $1,395,216, almost unchanged from $1,379,032 in 2022-23, alongside an accrued amount of $798,205 designated for retirement or deferred compensation.
Financially, the Met experienced a decrease in total assets, which fell by approximately $40 million to a total of $467 million, primarily due to an endowment withdrawal following the pandemic.
Among individual productions during the last season, “The Magic Flute” in English and the new production of Verdi’s “Aida” had the best attendance, each achieving an 82% ticket sale rate. The company premiere of Jake Heggie’s “Moby-Dick” also performed well, selling 81% of tickets. Other notable new productions included Strauss’ “Salome” at 74%, John Adams’ “Antony and Cleopatra” at 65%, Osvaldo Golijov’s “Ainadamar” at 61%, and Jeanine Tesori’s “Grounded” at 50%.
In contrast, various revivals such as Puccini’s “Tosca” and Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame” both achieved 78% in sales, while “La Bohème” reached 77%. Other successful revivals included Beethoven’s “Fidelio” and Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” both at 76%, alongside Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” at 71%. Productions that lagged in ticket sales included Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” at 68%, Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at 64%, Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” and the German-language version of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” both at 62%. Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” rounded out the lower tier with just 59% ticket sales.
