In New York, the Metropolitan Opera experienced a slight decline in season attendance, attributed to a drop in tourism following the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The venue sold 72% of its capacity, consistent with the previous season, but falling short of the projected 75%.
Peter Gelb, the general manager, noted the Met was making strides to improve attendance figures but was taken aback by lower sales in the season’s last two months. The shortfall was linked to a notable reduction in tourism. Tourism & Conventions in New York City adjusted its international visitor forecast for 2025 downward by 17%.
International sales represented 11% of ticket purchases, a drop from the anticipated 16%, and also from pre-pandemic levels of approximately 20%. Gelb remarked that this decrease reflects current times. Factoring in ticket discounts, the Met managed to achieve only 60% of its potential revenue, down from 64% the previous season but still an improvement from two years ago when it was at 57%.
Although ticket sale volumes remained steady, there was an uptick in the number of discounted tickets, particularly evident in the latter part of the season. The past year saw 76,000 new ticket buyers, which was down from 85,000 in the prior season. Yet, the average age of single ticket buyers remained stable at 44, unchanged from the previous year but younger than the average age of 50 seen before the pandemic. Subscriptions constituted just 7% of ticket sales, significantly lower than the 12-15% seen before the pandemic’s impact.
Gelb also attributed these trends to economic uncertainty, noting that fluctuations in the stock market have affected confidence. This resulted in a notable dip in advance sales for the next season, though they later rebounded somewhat.
Financially, Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s earnings rose to $2,045,038 for the fiscal year ending last July, marking a substantial increase from the previous year. Peter Gelb’s salary remained stable, with an additional amount designated for retirement. Despite these financial commitments, the Met’s assets dropped by around $40 million, largely due to endowment withdrawals following the pandemic.
In terms of productions, the most successful in ticket sales included Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in English and a new interpretation of Verdi’s “Aida,” each achieving 82% of potential sales, while the premiere of Jake Heggie’s “Moby-Dick” followed closely behind at 81%. Other notable productions included Strauss’ “Salome” at 74% and John Adams’ “Antony and Cleopatra” at 65%.
Revival performances of Puccini’s “Tosca,” Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades),” and Puccini’s “La Bohème” were also popular, ranging between 76% and 78%. However, productions like Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” and Verdi’s “Rigoletto” saw lower sales, with the latter at 64%. This mixed reception across various productions highlights challenges in maintaining audience engagement in a fluctuating market.