WASHINGTON (FN) — The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, long regarded as America’s premier cultural institution, is facing a wave of cancellations after its board voted to rename the building to include President Donald Trump’s name.
The decision, made on Dec. 19, 2025, followed months of upheaval in which Trump ousted previous board members, installed allies, and later named himself chairman. New signage now reads: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The renaming has triggered immediate backlash from artists. The Cookers, a veteran jazz supergroup, canceled their New Year’s Eve concert, saying the decision came together quickly but acknowledging frustration from fans who had already purchased tickets.
Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York–based contemporary dance company, also withdrew from scheduled performances, citing discomfort with the renaming and the political climate surrounding the institution.
These cancellations add to a growing list of artists who severed ties earlier in 2025, including Issa Rae, the producers of Hamilton, and musicians Ben Folds and Renée Fleming. Their departures came soon after Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center board.
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell dismissed the cancellations, calling the artists “far‑left activists” and accusing them of politicizing the arts. He insisted programming would continue, pointing to upcoming shows such as Monty Python’s Spamalot and the National Symphony Orchestra’s January concerts.
Protests have erupted outside the building, with demonstrators holding signs and staging symbolic performances to oppose the renaming. Critics argue the move undermines the Kennedy Center’s bipartisan legacy, while supporters say Trump’s leadership reflects a new cultural direction.
Despite the controversy, the Kennedy Center’s calendar remains active. Spamalot is scheduled for multiple performances across the Eisenhower Theater and Opera House in early January, while the National Symphony Orchestra continues its season with concerts throughout the month.
Analysts warn the cancellations could thin out the Kennedy Center’s holiday programming and damage its reputation as a neutral cultural hub. The institution, founded in 1971 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, now finds itself at the center of a national debate over politics and the arts.
For now, the renamed Trump‑Kennedy Center is pressing ahead with its 2026 season, but the exodus of performers underscores a growing divide: whether America’s flagship arts venue should remain a bipartisan memorial or serve as a platform for Trump’s cultural agenda.
