The Met will be re-opening to staff and selected regular workshop users this August, as the first stage of a plan to safely work towards welcoming live entertainment and audiences back to our building.
Staff will work remotely as much as possible while we continue to plan how to safely and sustainably plan a full season of live events for 2021. It will mean a partial return to box office services over the phone on weekdays (although not in-person, yet) and that creative workshops and groups can return to their work in the building, with limits on group sizes.
Many of the events on sale for the remainder of 2020 are likely to be rescheduled for dates in 2021. We’ll be working hard to figure out which events can go ahead, and when, with customer safety our main priority. Limited capacities, distanced seating and changes to how customers move around the building are likely to be part of our short-to-mid term future. But we also want to find new ways for you to enjoy what we do online. We hope to reach more people who aren’t yet able to join us in the building but still want to find new music, and use The Met for all those creative and social reasons that are vital to so many.
Over the coming weeks we hope to announce more online shows and workshops, and share our plans for bringing live audiences back to Bury.
Running shows with dramatically reduced capacities will not be sustainable for venues our size or the artists who depend on us for their livelihoods. We want to thank the Arts Council for their grant from the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund which has helped us reach this point. There remains more work to do while we wait on clarification of how government support for our sector will be delivered.
The best way to stay in touch as we return is to join our email list, check our website, or follow us on Twitter (@themet) or Facebook (@metbury). If you are able to offer further support, check out our Membership packages; members are at the heart of what we do, and we hope to offer them the chance to be the first to join us again in the building.
Looking forward to coming back?
We can’t wait to welcome you to The Met again. In the meantime, there are a few ways you can help us be ready to reopen, from the comfort of your home.
Streaming soon...
In the meantime, the best way to see great shows from The Met is to watch online. Streaming shows produced or promoted by The Met represent vital income for artists and the venue.