STING TO STAR IN NEWLY ADAPTED VERSION OF HIS MUSICAL “THE LAST SHIP”

STING TO STAR IN NEWLY ADAPTED VERSION OF HIS MUSICAL “THE LAST SHIP” FOR LIMITED RUN AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Nine Performances Set for June 9–14, 2026

Tickets Available Beginning Thursday, November 13

Sting will return to the stage next summer to star in a newly adapted version of The Last Ship, his semi-autobiographical musical that charts the resilience of a shipbuilding community in northern England. 

The production will run for nine performances from June 9 to 14, 2026, at the Metropolitan Opera House.

The new staging features a revised book by playwright Barney Norris and new and reimagined songs by Sting, expanding on the show’s Tony Award–nominated score. Sting will play Jackie White, the shipyard foreman at the story’s heart, joined by reggae icon and longtime collaborator Shaggy as the Ferryman. Directed by Leo Warner and presented by Karl Sydow, The Last Ship arrives at the Met as part of an international series of engagements that includes Amsterdam, Paris, and Brisbane.

Rooted in Sting’s upbringing in the English shipbuilding town of Wallsend, the musical tells the story of workers grappling with the closure of their shipyard—the backbone of their livelihoods. At its center is Jackie White, a foreman whose health is waning just as his leadership becomes indispensable.

“I grew up in the shadow of a shipyard, watching thousands of men walk past my front door every morning to work there, and imagining that would be my destiny too,” Sting said in a statement. “I dreamed of escaping—and I succeeded, traveling far and earning my living on some of the world’s greatest stages, including the Met in 2010. But the further I got, the more that shipyard called to me. The Last Ship is my tribute to the people and the place that shaped me. Bringing it to the Met feels like a full-circle moment.”

Peter Gelb, the Met’s Maria Manetti Shrem General Manager, added, “Throughout its storied history, the Met has hosted performances by legendary artists outside of opera or ballet. Sting made his memorable Met debut with a concert in 2010, and we’re thrilled to be his theatrical home for these nine fully staged performances in June.”

The creative team includes set and video design by 59 Studio (Jenny Melville, Matt Taylor, and Ben Pearcy), choreography by Rebecca Howell, costumes by Loren Elstein, lighting by Adam Bassett, and sound design by Tom Gibbons. The full-stage production will feature a company of 48 performers, musicians, and choristers.

Taking a break from his STING 3.0 world tour, the artist—managed by Martin Kierszenbaum of Cherrytree Music Company—has devoted a portion of next year to touring The Last Ship around the world. Beloved songs such as “Island of Souls,” “All This Time,” and “When We Dance” are woven into the show’s narrative.

Ahead of the Met performances, Sting will release The Last Ship (Expanded Edition) on December 5, 2025. The album, produced by Sting and Rob Mathes and mixed by Donal Hodgson and four-time Grammy winner Robert “Hitmixer” Orton, includes five new recordings and will be available digitally, on CD, and as a two-disc vinyl set.

Tickets for The Last Ship go on sale Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET at metopera.org/TheLastShip, with prices ranging from $40 to $375.