The Met Philadelphia is one of the most dramatic concert rooms in the country: a gilded, century-old opera house on North Broad Street that spent decades as a movie palace, boxing arena, and working church before Live Nation reopened it as a modern concert venue in 2018.
Whether you’re buying your first ticket or just trying to figure out where to park, here’s what to know before a show, from the seating layout and box office rules to parking lots, the bag policy, and how to get there on SEPTA.
Quick Answer
The Met Philadelphia sits at 858 N. Broad Street in North Philadelphia and holds about 3,500 people. Tickets go through Ticketmaster and Live Nation, parking is in a handful of nearby surface lots rather than an on-site garage, and the box office opens two hours before doors on show days only, cash-free and with an $8 per-ticket fee.
From Grand Opera House to Modern Venue
When it opened on November 17, 1908, the Philadelphia Opera House was impresario Oscar Hammerstein I’s answer to the city’s established Academy of Music, and architect William H. McElfatrick designed it to seat more than 4,000 people, making it the largest theater of its kind in the world at the time. The rivalry didn’t last: the New York Metropolitan Opera bought the building in 1910 and staged its final performance there in 1920, but other companies, including the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company and touring troupes like the Chicago Grand Opera Company, kept opera alive on the stage until the last opera production closed in 1934.
Over the following decades the hall cycled through second acts as a movie palace, ballroom, and boxing venue before a Christian congregation purchased it in 1995 and used it as a church while the structure slowly deteriorated. It took a joint restoration between developer Eric Blumenfeld, the church ownership, and Live Nation as promoter and tenant, at a cost of roughly $45 to $56 million, to bring the space back as a functioning concert hall, which reopened on December 3, 2018, with a Bob Dylan concert.
Seating Chart, Sections & Capacity
The Met’s modern-day capacity runs about 3,500, down from its original 1908 seating of more than 4,000. The room is generally organized into an Orchestra/Pit level closest to the stage, a Grand Salle main floor, Loge and Mezzanine tiers, and box seating along the sides, though the exact configuration shifts from show to show.
Many touring concerts convert the Orchestra and Pit sections into a standing general-admission floor while keeping the upper Loge, Mezzanine, and box levels reserved-seated, while theatrical and comedy bookings are more likely to run fully seated throughout. Because layouts vary by event, check the interactive seating chart attached to your specific show listing on the official Met Philadelphia website or Ticketmaster before choosing seats.
Tickets, Box Office & Prices
Tickets are sold primarily through Live Nation and Ticketmaster, and resale marketplaces like SeatGeek and Vivid Seats also list seats for most shows. Pricing follows the usual tiered pattern for a mid-size theater: standing floor general admission typically runs cheapest, reserved Orchestra and Grand Salle seats cost more, and Loge, Mezzanine, and box seats are priced according to sightlines, with VIP or presale packages occasionally offered for bigger tours.
The Met’s own box office, at the corner of Poplar and Carlisle Streets, is open on show days only, starting two hours before doors, and charges an $8 per-ticket fee; it accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, but does not accept cash. For the current event calendar, exact ticket prices, and any show-specific policies, use the official Met Philadelphia website as your primary source, since prices and on-sale dates vary by artist and change often.
Parking Near The Met Philadelphia
The venue operates several nearby surface lots rather than an on-site garage. Lot A, at 855 N. Broad Street, is the closest lot to the entrance and opens one hour before doors; it’s also where accessible parking is located, on a first-come, first-served basis and requires a visible state-issued plate or placard.
Lot C, at 1413 Parrish Street, opens at 6:00 p.m., and Lot D, at 1406 Melon Street, opens at 6:00 p.m. on weeknights and 4:30 p.m. on weekends; VIP and Preferred parking passes, when offered for a show, are tied to Lot A and Lot D respectively. Valet parking is available directly at 858 N. Broad Street and also opens one hour before doors. Overnight parking isn’t permitted in any of the venue’s lots, and unauthorized vehicles are subject to towing. For current lot pricing, check the parking section of the official Met Philadelphia site before you go.
Bag Policy & What to Bring
The Met enforces a clear-cut size limit: bags larger than 12″ x 12″ x 6″ are not allowed inside, and any bag that is permitted is subject to a search at entry. Guests can decline a bag search, but the venue can refuse entry in that case, so it’s simplest to arrive without an oversized bag altogether.
Other prohibited items include weapons, outside alcohol, illegal drugs, glass and cans, large coolers, laser pointers, professional cameras, selfie sticks, pointed umbrellas, ski masks, wallet chains, oversized signs, and laptops; animals aren’t allowed except for trained service animals as defined by the ADA (emotional-support and comfort animals don’t qualify). Re-entry is not permitted once you leave, so plan to stay put once you’re inside.
Getting There & Accessibility
The Met sits along Philadelphia’s Broad Street corridor at 858 N. Broad Street, about two blocks south of SEPTA’s Girard Station and three blocks north of Fairmount Station on the Broad Street Line subway. Bus routes 4 and 16 stop at Poplar and Broad, the Girard Street Trolley stops about two blocks north at Girard and Broad, and rideshare drop-off is on Broad Street just south of Poplar.
The accessible entrance is through the main lobby on Poplar Street, next to the outside box office, with guests dropped off at the corner of Poplar and Carlisle. An elevator serves all levels except the Loge, accessible restrooms are available on every level, and accessible seating can be filtered for online at purchase, though day-of accessible seating is limited and first-come, first-served. Assistive listening devices need two days’ notice and interpreter services need two weeks’ notice; arrange accommodations ahead of time through the box office or guest services, or by calling 800.653.8000.
See the stage from the lawn seats — small enough for most venue bag rules.
Phone, cards and keys in front of you all night, hands free for the encore.
Packs smaller than a water bottle — a real seat for lawn shows and festival sets.
The Met Philadelphia visitor guide FAQs
When did The Met Philadelphia open?
The building first opened as the Philadelphia Opera House on November 17, 1908. After decades of disuse and a multimillion-dollar renovation, it reopened as The Met Philadelphia concert venue on December 3, 2018, with a Bob Dylan concert.
How many people does The Met Philadelphia hold?
The venue’s modern capacity is about 3,500, down from the original 1908 configuration of more than 4,000 seats, since fewer, more spacious seating tiers replaced the original dense opera-house layout.
Is there an on-site parking garage at The Met Philadelphia?
No. The Met does not have its own garage; instead it operates nearby surface lots (Lot A, Lot C, and Lot D) plus a valet option directly outside the venue, each opening on its own schedule before doors.
What is the bag policy at The Met Philadelphia?
Bags larger than 12″ x 12″ x 6″ are prohibited, and all permitted bags are searched at entry. Guests who decline a search can be denied entry, so arriving without an oversized bag is the simplest option.
Does The Met Philadelphia box office accept cash?
No. The box office at Poplar and Carlisle Streets only accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, and it adds an $8 fee per ticket purchased in person.
Can you re-enter The Met Philadelphia after leaving during a show?
No. Re-entry is not permitted once you exit the venue, so guests should plan to stay inside for the duration of the event once they’ve gone through security.
What’s the closest SEPTA stop to The Met Philadelphia?
The venue is roughly two blocks south of the Girard Station and three blocks north of the Fairmount Station on the Broad Street Line subway, with additional bus and trolley routes stopping nearby on Broad Street.
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