List of Kennedy Center cancellations during the Trump administration
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Many performers, artists, and shows cancelled performances, ended working agreements, or otherwise disassociated themselves from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the national cultural center of the United States, after President Donald Trump in 2025 replaced the center's leaders and its board of trustees, had himself appointed chairman, and began making changes to the center's programming.[1] The Trump administration also forced the cancellation of several shows in 2025.[2][3]
On February 1, 2026, Trump announced plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations, beginning on July 4, 2026.[4] The following day, CNN reported that the center's new leaders had been unable to sign enough acts to mount a 2026-27 season.[5][6]
| Name | Action | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issa Rae | Canceled performance | February 13, 2025 | [7] |
| Renée Fleming | Resigned as advisor | February 13, 2025 | [7] |
| Shonda Rhimes | Resigned as trustee | February 13, 2025 | [8] |
| Ben Folds | Resigned as advisor | February 13, 2025 | [7] |
| Low Cut Connie | Canceled performance | February 13, 2025 | [9] |
| Rhiannon Giddens | Canceled performance | February 26, 2025 | [9] |
| Peter Wolf | Canceled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Saturday Night Live writer Sylvia Traymore Morrison | Canceled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Balún (band) | Canceled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Louise Penney | Canceled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Amanda Rheaume | Canceled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| “RIOT! Funny Women Stand Up” annual series | Canceled performances | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Alfred Street Baptist Church Choir | Canceled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Eureka Day | Canceled performances | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| Hamilton | Canceled performances | March 6, 2025 | [10] |
| Melissa Errico | Canceled performances | March 6, 2025 | [10] |
| Washington Performing Arts | Moved season of performances | May 22, 2025 | [11] |
| Members of the Les Misérables cast | Withdrew from performances | June 2025 | [12] |
| Steven Schwartz | Canceled fundraiser | December 2025 | [13] |
| Doug Varone and Dancers | Canceled performance | December 2025 | [13] |
| Kristy Lee | Canceled performance | December 19, 2025 | [14] |
| American College Theatre Festival | Suspended partnership | December 22, 2025 | [15] |
| Chuck Redd | Canceled performance | December 24, 2025 | [16] |
| The Cookers (feat. Billy Harper) | Canceled performance | December 29, 2025 | [17] |
| Washington National Opera | Withdrew residence | January 9, 2026 | [18] |
| Béla Fleck | Canceled performance | January 7, 2026 | [19] |
| Philip Glass | Canceled performance | January 2026 | [20] |
| Martha Graham Dance Company | Canceled performances | January 2026 | [20] |
| Wayne Tucker | Canceled performances | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Brentano Quartet with Hsin-Yun Huang | Canceled performance | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Vocal Arts DC | Canceled performances | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Sonia De Los Santos | Canceled performances | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Magpie | Canceled performance | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Maria João Pires with Marc-André Hamelin | Canceled performance | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Asian AF | Canceled performances | January 28, 2026 | [21] |
| Seattle Children's Theatre | Canceled performances | January 27, 2026 | [22] |
| Choral Arts Society of Washington | Moved performance | January 31, 2026 | [23] |
| Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater | Moved performances | January 31, 2026 | [23] |
| “Let Freedom Ring!", annual concert organized by Georgetown University | Moved performance | January 31, 2026 | [23] |
| San Francisco Ballet | Canceled performances | February 28, 2026 | [24] |
| New York City Ballet | Canceled performances | March 27, 2026 | [25] |
Performances cancelled by the Trump administration
The Trump administration cancelled several planned performances, including:
| Name | Action | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finn | Cancelled performances | February 13, 2025 | [2] |
| Gay Men's Chorus of Washington | Cancelled performance | March 5, 2025 | [3] |
| U.S. Marine Band | Withdrew from performance | February 2025 | [22] |
As of February 2, 2026, no plans had been announced for the performances that had been planned after July 4, when Trump said the center would close for two years of renovations.[4]
Notes
- ↑ "Here's a list of all the artists who canceled at the Kennedy Center before Trump announced it must close for two years - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 Evans, Greg (2025-02-13). "Kennedy Center Cancels Tour Of Acclaimed Children's Musical 'Finn'; Actors' Equity Calls Decision "Beyond Appalling"". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Godiner, Jane (2025-03-06). ""Hamilton" Will Not Play the Kennedy Center. Here's What Else Has Been Canceled. - Washingtonian". Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 Nagourney, Adam; Jacobs, Julia (2026-02-02). "Trump Says Kennedy Center Will Close for 2-Year Reconstruction Project". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Bash, Dana (2026-02-02). Just changing the carpets? Here’s the real reason President Trump might be closing the Kennedy Center. | CNN Politics. Retrieved 2026-02-03 – via www.cnn.com.
- ↑ Serfaty, Betsy Klein, Kristen Holmes, Sunlen (2026-02-03). "Trump hints at dramatic Kennedy Center renovations that will leave steel 'fully exposed' | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - 1 2 3 Horton, Adrian (February 13, 2025). "Stars pull out of shows and positions at Kennedy Center after Trump takeover". The Guardian. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ↑ Archie, Ayana (2025-02-13). "Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae have cut ties with the Kennedy Center now that Trump is chair". NPR. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 Hernández, Javier C.; Pogrebin, Robin; Taylor, Derrick Bryson (February 26, 2025). "Rhiannon Giddens Is Latest to Cancel at Kennedy Center After Trump's Takeover". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- 1 2 Paulson, Michael (2025-03-05). "'Hamilton' Cancels Kennedy Center Run Over Trump's Takeover". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Beaujon, Andrew (2025-05-22). "Major DC Performing Arts Org Will Skip Kennedy Center for New Season - Washingtonian". Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Dunbar, Marina (2025-05-08). "Les Misérables actors to boycott Kennedy Center performance over Trump attendance". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 "Kennedy Center to close for two years for renovations, Trump says". www.bbc.com. 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Banks, Torrence (2025-12-19). "Artists Are Threatening to Cancel Over Trump's Kennedy Center Renaming". NOTUS. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "American College Theatre Festival Suspends Affiliation With Kennedy Center; Festival Will Continue On Its Own". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2026-01-18. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Wright, Kristin (2025-12-27). "Kennedy Center vows to sue musician who canceled performance over Trump name change". NPR. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "Kennedy Center cancels New Years Eve performances amid Trump name change". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "Washington National Opera to move out of Kennedy Center after Trump 'takeover'". The Guardian. 2026-01-09. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Tsioulcas, Anastasia (2026-01-07). "Béla Fleck cancels Kennedy Center appearance, says it's become 'charged and political'". NPR. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 "Full list of acts that pulled out after Trump changed Kennedy Center name". Newsweek. 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "All the Kennedy Center cancellations since Trump's name was added". The Washington Post. 2026-01-05. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 Buck, Ivy (2026-01-27). "Here's who's canceled their Kennedy Center performances since Trump took over". NPR. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 3 "Trump's Kennedy Center has no Black History Month events following cancellations". The Washington Post. 2026-01-31. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "San Francisco's Kennedy Center shows 'will no longer take place'". March 1, 2026.
- ↑ "New York City Ballet Pulls Out of Kennedy Center Performances". March 27, 2026.
