Classic Works Outperforming Contemporary Works in Metropolitan Opera’s 2024-25 Mid Season Report
By Francisco Salazar(Credit: Ken Howard)
The Metropolitan Opera’s ticket sales continue to struggle during the 2024-25 season.
The AP is reporting that the Met attendance was 70 percent of available tickets in the season’s first half, down from 73 percent at the same point last year. However, the Met is projecting that the season finish with 75 percent of available tickets which would be an improvement from the 72 percent percent during the 2023-24 season.
The company also released figures for recent productions including Jeanine Tesori’s “Grounded,” which sold a disappointing 50 percent the lowest of 10 productions while Osvaldo Golijov’s “Ainadamar” sold 61 percent. “Grounded” was featured in the company’s HD series, while “Ainadamar” was not. Last year’s season opening “Dead Man Walking” raked in 62 percent sales.
The Met did see better results with classic works such as Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” The holiday production sold 82 percent of its tickets the best result of all productions, while Michael Mayer’s new production of Verdi’s “Aida” sold 79 percent
The trend of newer operas selling worse than classics seems to be repeating last year which saw the new operas sell 65 percent of available tickets. In a statement, General Manager Peter Gelb said, “It’s impossible to predict hits. On the other hand, if we don’t promote new works, then we’re saying goodbye to the art form.”
This statement is quite the reverse of what Gelb said back in 2023 when he said that modern works were attracting more audiences than classics and that the company had a plan of performing more modern works. In 2025-26, the company will be presenting three contemporary works, down from four in 2024-25, and six in 2023-24.
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