It is the one week a year the Met hands its house repertory to the sidewalk, with no ticket and no dress code between you and a full-length opera. I Puritani is the bel canto night of the run, built on the kind of stratospheric singing that plays better on a screen the size of a building than from the back of the Family Circle. And the plaza itself, fountain lit and ringed by the opera house, is a setting no rep cinema can match.
What to expect
A wide bank of chairs facing a large screen above the plaza, filling steadily from the moment the access points reopen. Audio is piped across the courtyard, so the sound holds up even from the fountain steps. Expect a mixed crowd of subscribers and passers-by, applause between numbers, and a long sit for a three-hour opera.
Good to know
- Seating is first come, first served, with roughly 2,500 chairs set out on the plaza
- The plaza is cleared and secured about two hours before the screening, then guests are let back in through designated access points roughly an hour beforehand
- That reopening is the practical moment to be in line if you want a seat rather than a standing spot
- Screenings go ahead in rain, but the Met cancels for thunder, lightning or high wind, and a cancelled night is not rescheduled
- I Puritani runs about three hours, so bring a layer for a long sit after dark
- The 1 train to 66th St-Lincoln Center leaves you at the foot of the plaza steps
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Common questions
Do I need a ticket?
No. Admission is free and the Met issues no tickets or reservations for the Summer HD Festival. About 2,500 seats are set out on Josie Robertson Plaza on a first-come, first-served basis.
What happens if it rains?
The screening goes on. The Met cancels only for thunder, lightning or high wind, and a cancelled night is not rescheduled, so there is no rain date to fall back on.
How early should I get there?
The plaza is cleared for a security sweep roughly two hours ahead and reopens through designated access points about an hour before showtime. Being in line at that reopening is the reliable way to get a chair.
