US EditionWashington National Opera to leave Kennedy Center amid Trump takeover
The Washington National Opera will reduce its spring season and move performances after ending a 55-year affiliation with the Kennedy Center due to financial and operational conflicts.
- WNO's board voted Friday to seek an amicable early termination and resume operations as an independent nonprofit, vacating the Kennedy Center's 2,364-seat Opera House, the Jan. 9, 2026 update said.
- Amid falling revenues and donor retreat, President Donald Trump named himself chairman and installed Richard Grenell as executive director, triggering a 40% drop in ticket revenue and performer cancellations.
- The Kennedy Center's new model requires productions to be fully funded in advance, a policy WNO said is incompatible with opera planning, so it will reduce its spring season and scale back productions next season.
- WNO has identified new Washington venues but no leases are signed and will announce locations in the coming weeks; a major dispute is expected over the opera's $30 million endowment amid negotiations with Kennedy Center leadership.
- The move is widely seen as an artistic rebuke tied to the Center's renaming, as changes pushed by Richard Grenell—such as revenue-neutral rules and anthem mandates—have fueled censorship concerns.
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93 Articles
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There will be no opera in the Melania Trump Opera House. It’s all over as the fat President sings. The Washington National Opera says it’s leaving the Kennedy Center after 45 years. They don’t even care where they’re going, they’re just outta there. The WNO says they must exit because Donald Trump has destroyed their […] The post Kennedy Center: No Opera Anymore in Melania Trump Opera House As Famed Washington Opera Leaving Over Poor Sales, Bad …
After 46 years, the Washington National Opera is leaving its home, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the US capital. Since President Trump stationed his men at the cultural institution and literally slapped his name on it, bookings have plummeted, and donors and artists are dropping out.
US President Donald Trump's growing claim to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, has once again led to a conflict. The…
Washington National Opera announces its exit from Kennedy Centre after Trump's takeover
The Washington National Opera (WNO) announced on Friday that it is moving its performances out of the John F Kennedy Centre, weeks after the institution changed its name to include US President Donald Trump
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