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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a plan last week to give away 70,000 free tickets to the Metropolitan Opera House, firing up critics on social media who argue there are more pressing issues facing New Yorkers.
“Opera for All,” a partnership between the city and the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center, will allow New Yorkers who have never attended a performance to enter a monthly lottery for tickets to productions ranging from Macbeth to La Bohème, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.
A spokesperson for Mamdani’s office told Fox News Digital the city is not paying for the program. The Metropolitan Opera is donating tickets from its pool of unsold seats, representing about 10% of its seasonal capacity, while the city will help promote and distribute them.
In a video announcing the latest giveaway, Mamdani appeared alongside the cast of La Bohème, telling viewers that “every New Yorker should have the opportunity to see this no matter how much money is in their pocket.”
He also highlighted former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s “People’s Opera,” which was founded in 1943 to offer affordable tickets before filing for bankruptcy in 2013 and relaunching in 2016.
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Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, during a Bloomberg Television interview at City Hall in New York on Jan. 29, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“This art form was meant to be seen by everyone,” he said.
While many liberals have touted Mamdani’s move, conservatives on social media were quick to ridicule Mamdani’s announcement, which was viewed over 6 million times on X, calling it a case of misplaced priorities.
In a post on X, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and reality TV star Spencer Pratt wrote, “Prior generations of billionaires gave endowments to the arts. Today’s autistic billionaires ignore culture and spend all their philanthropy fixated on the fecundity of peasants 10K miles away, then are baffled by why they’re so hated here & can’t get data centers approved.”
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Atmosphere at Peter Gelb and Barbara Tober Backstage at the Metropolitan Opera at Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center on March 25, 2024, in New York City. (Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
“His entire shtick is designed to make you believe there’s this starving underworld that longs for things like opera tickets but is so oppressed they cannot attain them,” Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt posted on X. “It’s all bull—- and he’s just wasting your money.”
“A random entertainment lottery for the poors? What the f— is this? The Hunger Games?” music video director Joseph Kahn posted on X.
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Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, holds up bananas labeled with a 30% off sticker during an announcement on municipal grocery stores at a Campaign for Hunger community food distribution center in Brooklyn on July 27, 2026. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Ever see a fight break out at an opera?” comedian Danny Polishchuk posted on X. “Do you want to? Now’s your chance!”
But this is not the first time Mamdani has pushed his democratic socialist agenda. In August, New York City high school students were offered thousands of free and discounted Broadway tickets through a partnership with the Theatre Development Fund (TDF).
His other affordability-focused proposals, including fare-free buses, city-owned grocery stores, rent freezes and free child care programs, have also sparked concerns over expanded government and taxpayer burdens.
The partnership with the Metropolitan Opera will remain permanent and continue into next season, with tickets available throughout the venue, excluding standing-room tickets.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Opera for comment.