Kennedy Center will halt entertainment operations for two years, Trump says

The John F Kennedy Center, a world-class venue for the performing arts in Washington DC, will halt entertainment events for two years starting on 4 July during renovations, Donald Trump posted on Sunday on Truth Social.The Kennedy Center, which has seen a wave of performers cancel events in recent months as well as the lowest ticket sales in years, has been in turmoil since the president orchestrated a leadership overhaul in the beginning of his term.In his Truth Social post, Trump claimed he had been reviewing the venue for one year to decide between a full closure and reopening or partial closure during its reconstruction.“Based on these findings, and totally subject to Board approval, I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time, with a scheduled Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a Facility before,” Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social.Trump began his takeover of the Kennedy Center in February 2025, overhauling the board who immediately named him chair of the institution. The president spoke of his plans for the venue in February, saying: “We’re going to make sure that it’s good and it’s not going to be woke. There’s no more woke in this country.”The center historically has hosted more than 2,000 events a year, according to the website, although many performers have pulled out of planned shows since Trump’s shakeup began. Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller said in a March social media post that “our show simply cannot, in conscience, participate 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 called off Kennedy Center performances.Other notable artists have reacted to Trump putting himself in charge of the institution as well. Television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes resigned from the center’s board of trustees in February, as soprano and actor Renée Fleming and singer and songwriter Ben Folds stepped down as artistic advisers.In December, the center’s new board of trustees, handpicked by Trump, voted to rename the world-renowned institution to the “Trump-Kennedy Center”. However, the venue is, by law, designated the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was built to be a living memorial to the former president, according to the New York Times. The paper noted it had been generally understood that any change to the center’s name would require congressional approval.In January, the Washington National Opera announced it would, after more than 40 years, be moving its performances out of the Kennedy Center.An analysis for the Washington Post found that Kennedy Center ticket sales had plummeted last year. Data analyzed from 3 September to 19 October found that 43% of ticket sales for typical productions remained unsold.