Sting is steering a newly adapted version of his musical The Last Ship into the Metropolitan Opera House for a strictly limited, nine-performance run from June 9 to 14, 2026. He will appear onstage as Jackie White, the shipyard foreman at the center of the story, with reggae star Shaggy set to co-star as the Ferryman. The engagement follows an international tour that stopped in Amsterdam, Paris and Brisbane earlier this season.
Met Opera Will Host Sting’s Reworked Musical
The Met announced the engagement in a press release, noting that the reimagined production features a new book by Barney Norris along with new and revised songs by Sting. "Bringing it to the Met feels like a full-circle moment," Sting said in the statement. According to the Metropolitan Opera, the staging will feature a company of 48 artists, and tickets for the limited run will range from $40 to $375.
Lincoln Center's Unusual Booking
This booking is not exactly business as usual for the house. Reuters reported that the Met will host a Broadway-style staging and that Sting himself will be onstage for the performances. The announcement also included short clips of Sting talking about how he continues to tinker with the show as it evolves.
From Broadway To The Met
The Last Ship first premiered in 2014 and later moved to Broadway, where it earned two Tony Award nominations in 2015. Sting’s work on the piece dates back more than a decade, with early readings taking place in 2011 as the project took shape. Industry records and production histories are documented by sources including Wikipedia.
International Stops And Casting
The reworked staging ran in Amsterdam, then Paris and Brisbane before heading to New York. TheaterMania lists the Amsterdam engagement at Koninklijk Theater Carré (Jan. 14 to Feb. 1) and the Paris and Brisbane dates that followed. TheaterMania and production materials also note the new creative team, directed by Leo Warner with set and video design by 59 Studio, and the inclusion of Shaggy in the cast.
Tickets And Practicalities
The Met's press materials state that tickets went on sale earlier and that this strictly limited engagement is priced from budget seats through premium orchestra and boxes. With just nine performances on the books, demand is expected to outstrip availability for many shows. According to the Metropolitan Opera, tickets are available through the company’s website.
Sting's Return And What It Means
Sting, now 74, has framed the Met run as a personal reckoning with his shipbuilding roots and told the Miami Herald that "this is an immense privilege." For New Yorkers, the Met engagement offers a brief window to see material that bridges Sting’s pop catalog and his long-running theatrical ambition before the production moves on.
