The Latest Breaking News from Kennedy Center

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

DC arts venue, which has seen wave of canceled events after Trump’s takeover, will start renovations in July

The Guardian - US · Feb 2

Trump says he’s closing the Kennedy Center until 2028 for renovations after artists pull out of performances

A slew of artists have canceled or relocated performances at the national performing arts center to protest takeover

The Independent UK · Feb 1

Kennedy Center official resigns less than two weeks after hiring

Kevin Couch says he ‘resigned yesterday’, amid recent turmoil following a leadership overhaul initiated by Trump

The Guardian - US · Jan 29

The Trump-Kennedy Center is another front in the battle for the soul of America

Under Trump, the world-class centre for performing arts is one of many US cultural institutions changing beyond recognition. Will others buckle, asks the Guardian’s chief culture writer, Charlotte Higgins

The Guardian - UK · Jan 19

Washington National Opera leaving the Kennedy Center in latest upheaval since Trump takeover

After WNO announced their departure, the Trump Kennedy Center claimed the decision was due to a ‘financially challenging relationship’

The Independent UK · Jan 10

Trump Slammed By Whoopi Goldberg, The View Hosts Over 'Dictator-Like' Rebrand Amid Kennedy Tragedy

Whoopi Goldberg and The View hosts slam Trump's 'dictator-like' Kennedy Center rebrand as illegal and tone-deaf, especially following Tatiana Schlossberg's death.

International Business Times UK · Jan 6

Wicked composer says he’d never ‘set foot’ in Trump-Kennedy Center as he cancels performance over rebrand

Stephen Schwartz joins growing list of artists to boycott the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center

The Independent UK · Jan 2

‘Their first instinct was to loot’: how Trump’s acolytes are plundering the Kennedy Center

Sheldon Whitehouse, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, remains undeterred and determined to press on with his investigation

The Guardian - US · Jan 1

Trump 'Mocks' Kennedy Family Hours After Tatiana Schlossberg Dies—What Did He Do?

President Trump mocked the Kennedy family on Truth Social after Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter, died from acute myeloid leukaemia. This reignited controversy over his decision to rename the Kennedy Center during the family's mourning.

International Business Times UK · Dec 31, 2025

Kennedy Center president claims ‘legacy media’ is encouraging artists to boycott performances over Trump name change

Leadership at the Washington, D.C. arts mainstay has been fuming over a series of recent artist cancellations in protest of the president and his allies attempting to rename the center after himself

The Independent UK · Dec 31, 2025