The Metropolitan Opera is set to present its fewest productions in at least 60 years for the 2026-27 season, despite reporting encouraging box office figures for the current period. The decision underscores the financial pressures facing the venerable institution, even as audience engagement shows signs of recovery.
Announcing its programme on Thursday, the Met confirmed it will stage just 17 productions, marking its lowest total in a non-abbreviated season since relocating to Lincoln Center in 1966. The schedule includes only five new stagings, with revivals of three popular operas – Puccini’s Tosca and La Bohème, and Verdi’s Aida – accounting for a significant 71 of the 187 individual performances, or 38 per cent of the total.
