Kennedy Center will halt entertainment operations for two years, Trump says | Donald Trump
The John F. Kennedy Center, a world-class performing arts venue in Washington, D.C., will halt entertainment events for two years starting July 4 due to renovations, Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.
The Kennedy Center, where a number of artists have canceled events in recent months and witnessed the lowest ticket sales in years, has been in turmoil since the president orchestrated a leadership overhaul at the beginning of his term.
His Real Social postTrump claimed he had been studying the venue for a year to decide whether to close it completely, reopen it, or partially close it while it rebuilds.
“Based on these findings, and subject entirely to Board approval, I have determined that the quickest way to restore the Trump Kennedy Center to its highest level of Success, Beauty and Magnificence is to cease Entertainment Operations for a period of approximately two years, with a planned Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has previously occurred with respect to such Facility,” Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
Trump began his takeover of the Kennedy Center in February 2025, overhauling its board and immediately appointing himself president of the institution. Talking about his plans for the venue in February, the president said: “We’re going to make sure it’s good and it doesn’t wake up. There’s no woke people in this country anymore.”
The center has historically hosted more than 2,000 events a year, according to its website, but since the Trump shakedown began, many artists have withdrawn from planned shows. Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller said in March: social media post “Our show cannot, in good conscience, be a part of and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center.” Actor and producer Issa Rae, Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens, Peter Wolf and rock band Low Cut Connie also canceled their Kennedy Center performances.
Other important artists also reacted to Trump appointing him as the head of the institution. Television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes resigned As a soprano and actress, she was appointed to the center’s board of trustees in February. Renee Fleming and singer and songwriter I am Folds He resigned as art consultant.
In December, the center’s new board of trustees, hand-picked by Trump, voted to change the name of the world-famous institution to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” However, by law the venue was designated as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was built as a living monument to the former president. New York Times. The newspaper stated that it was generally understood that any change in the center’s name would require congressional approval.
In January, the Washington National Opera announced it would move its shows outside the Kennedy Center after more than 40 years.
One analysis The Washington Post found that Kennedy Center ticket sales dropped last year. Data analyzed from September 3 to October 19 found that 43% of ticket sales for typical productions were unsold.
