The Metropolitan Opera has announced an unprecedented $1.5 billion fundraising campaign titled “Make the Met Forever” to help ensure the company’s future.

The campaign also underlines its value as one of the city’s indispensable cultural institutions with the recently announced 70,000 free tickets to underserved New Yorkers over the course of this season and upcoming seasons. The initiative is done in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office.

The new campaign is the largest ever launched by a not-for-profit performing arts company  and has already generated $407 million in commitments, including a $100 million pledged bequest and two $50 million gifts from current board leaders.

The goal for the campaign is $1.5 billion, of which $500 million, will go toward substantially expanding the Met’s endowment, a critical resource for meeting the company’s ongoing financial needs and which has been reduced over the past years due to the company’s financial crisis.

The $100 million pledged bequest comes from the estate of an anonymous donor. The two $50 million gifts are from the current Met President, Tod Johnson, and from the Chairman of the Met’s Executive Committee, C. Graham Berwind, III.

In a statement, Johnson said, “The Met’s board is determined to sustain the Met now and into the future with this campaign, which we hope will also attract broad public support.”

Berwind added, “Our goal is to keep this indispensable artistic institution thriving. It is my sincere hope that my gift will inspire others to contribute what they can to ensure the future for one of New York’s greatest cultural assets.”

The Metropolitan Opera its 2026-27 season on Sept. 22, 2026 with a new production of “Macbeth.”

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