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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A growing number of artists, musicians and performers have canceled upcoming appearances at the Trump Kennedy Center, citing objections to Donald Trump’s decision to affix his name to the building without an act of Congress.
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Now, the president has announced on Truth Social that the Kennedy Center will shut down for two years beginning July 4, 2026, for what he described as a "complete rebuilding" of the venue.
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Trump said the closure would allow the Trump Kennedy Center to be rebuilt into "the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World," declaring that continuing operations during construction would result in lower-quality work and a significantly slower timeline.
Why It Matters
The cancellations have turned into a rolling, high‑profile rebuke from the arts community, with performers citing concerns over political interference, changes to programming and the symbolic renaming of the country’s national performing-arts institution.
Trump’s announcement that he intends to close the center for two years—pending board approval—adds a new dimension to the conflict.
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What To Know
On December 19, Trump bypassed Congress and ordered his name placed on the Kennedy Center after his hand‑picked board approved the move. An official renaming of the venue still requires an act of Congress, but the signage was installed immediately.
Today, in a post on his Truth Social platform, the president said that, after a one‑year review with contractors and arts advisers, he had "determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World."
The center, Trump said, will cease entertainment operations on July 4, 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Acts That Have Canceled Kennedy Center Performances
Washington National Opera
On January 9, the Washington National Opera’s board of trustees voted to withdraw from the Trump Kennedy Center as soon as possible.
"Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity," the company said in a statement to The New York Times.
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell disputed the framing, claiming on social media: "The Trump Kennedy Center has made the decision to end the EXCLUSIVE partnership with the Washington Opera so that we can have the flexibility and funds to bring in operas from around the world and across the U.S."
Philip Glass
Composer Philip Glass withdrew the world premiere of his Symphony No. 15 ("Lincoln"), saying the leadership’s values were incompatible with the message of the work.
"Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony," Glass said in a statement on X.
The Martha Graham Dance Company
The company canceled its spring 2026 performances, saying: "The Martha Graham Dance Company regrets that we are unable to perform at the Kennedy Center in April. We hope to perform at the center in the future."
Doug Varone and Dancers
The New York-based company canceled its April shows in protest.
"With the latest act of Donald J. Trump renaming the Center after himself, we can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution," choreographer Doug Varone said on Instagram in December 2025.
The Cookers
The jazz ensemble canceled two New Year’s Eve concerts. On Instagram, banjo player Béla Fleck added: "Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music."
Magpie
The folk duo canceled a February Millennium Stage concert, issuing a lengthy statement condemning the renaming and the institution’s political direction.
"We have decided to publicly and vocally join the boycott and cancel our performance there," Greg Artzner said, adding that they stood "in solidarity" with other artists who refused to perform at the center.
'Hamilton'
The touring production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton canceled its entire run, including a major 250th anniversary event.
"Given the recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate," producer Jeffrey Seller said in March 2025.
Balún
The Brooklyn band withdrew in February 2025, saying on Instagram that the space "no longer aligns with our values."
Issa Rae
The "An Evening With Issa Rae" event was canceled, with the Insecure creator saying the venue had long "celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums" before the leadership change.
Chuck Redd
Jazz drummer Redd canceled his traditional Christmas Eve concert after the name change appeared online and on the building.
"When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert," Redd told The Associated Press in December 2025.
Kristy Lee
The country singer canceled her January shows at the center. In a statement she said: "Using it for personal promotion diminishes its meaning and erodes the dignity owed to the legacy of a fallen president."
Sonia De Los Santos
The Grammy‑nominated children’s musician canceled her February 7 concerts, saying the venue no longer felt welcoming for herself, her band, or her audience. "We are living in extraordinarily challenging times that call for courage and for standing firmly in who we are," she said on Instagram.
Rhiannon Giddens
The folk musician moved her May 2025 show to The Anthem. "I cannot in good conscience play at The Kennedy Center with the change in programming direction forced on the institution by this new board," she wrote on Instagram in 2025.
What People Are Saying
Trump Kennedy Center President Ambassador Grenell said in a statement: "I am grateful for President Trump’s visionary leadership. I am also grateful to Congress for appropriating a historic $257M to finally address decades of deferred maintenance and repairs at the Trump Kennedy Center. Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently preserve the Center, but to make it the finest Arts Institution in the world.
"It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense—it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster. President Trump has a reputation for delivering large construction projects on time, under budget and beautifully finished.
This will be a brief closure in retrospect—and I am confident this sets the stage for a stronger, revitalized National Cultural and Entertainment Complex."
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Trump-Kennedy Center, said in a statement: "In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress. We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble. Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs.
"We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision. We have not canceled a single show. Leftist activists are pushing artists to cancel but the public wants artists to perform and create—not cancel under pressure from political insiders that benefit from creating division."
What Happens Next
The Kennedy Center is set to close on July 4, 2026 if the board approves Trump’s proposal. The two‑year shutdown would halt all performances and relocate or cancel scheduled engagements. It also leaves hundreds of performers, employees and partner organizations uncertain about future operations.
With cancellations continuing to mount and political tensions surrounding the venue showing no sign of easing, the coming months are likely to determine both the logistical and cultural fallout of Trump’s unprecedented move to rebrand and rebuild one of America’s most-prominent arts institutions.
Update, 02/06/26 06:19 a.m.: This article was updated with additional comment from the Trump Kennedy Center.
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