The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and other performance venues drop mask requirements

Since the beginning of this year, New York City has been gradually lifting mask mandates. New Yorkers are no longer required to wear masks indoors, in public transit, and at schools. However, some of New York’s most visited classic art venues still asked their audience to wear masks during a performance. Soon, that might change. 

The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and New York Philharmonic lifted their mask requirements on October 24th, 2022. Maks also became optional at the Juilliard School and Film at Lincoln Center. The home of the New York City Ballet, David H. Koch Theater, will end its mask mandate starting from November 1st.  

Opera and ballet institutions are among the last NYC venues to make masks optional. The decision to lift this requirement might divide ticket buyers. Some people prefer to avoid concert halls with mandatory masking, while others feel more comfortable attending a performance that requires their audience to wear a mask. 

The recent survey conducted by the Met showed that only a quarter of audience members would feel uncomfortable if the venue adopted a mask-option policy. A few months ago, this number was close to 70 percent. Other institutions, such as the New York Philharmonic, have also changed their approach toward mask mandates. 

“We feel it’s important that we do our part to help the city return to a much more normal state of affairs," Deborah Borda, Chief Executive Officer of the New York Philharmonic, said in an interview with Playbill. 

The number of confirmed COVID cases in New York City remained low over the summer. On average, 2,062 New Yorkers test positive for COVID-19 daily, according to the data from the New York City website. The rapid decline in confirmed cases has allowed further elimination of various mask requirements. 

Resources:

“In New York, Masks Will Not Be Required at the Opera or Ballet,” by Javier C. Hernández (The New York Times, 2022)

“Masks will no longer be required at the Met Opera and Carnegie Hall,” by  Shaye Weaver (Time Out, 2022)

“​​Masks Will No Longer Be Required at The Met, Carnegie Hall, and More,” by Natan Zamansky (Playbill, 2022)