Kennedy Center Board Votes to Rename Venue To ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’

The board overseeing Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to the White House. The decision was announced by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who cited what she described as President Donald Trump’s role in the center’s recent reconstruction, finances, and public standing.

“I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building…” Leavitt wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur.”

Trump, who serves as chairman of the board and has frequently referred to the institution as the “Trump Kennedy Center,” previously said the decision to rename the venue would rest with the board. He made those remarks earlier this month while attending the Kennedy Center Honors.

BroadwayWorld previously reported that ticket sales at the Kennedy Center declined significantly following a leadership transition earlier this year. According to ticketing and spending data cited by The Washington Post, attendance for major productions between early September and mid-October fell to its lowest level since the pandemic. During that six-week period, approximately 43 percent of seats in the Opera House, Concert Hall, and Eisenhower Theater went unsold, meaning only about 57 percent of available tickets were sold or distributed as complimentary. In comparison, those venues saw 93 percent of seats filled or comped in fall 2024, 80 percent in 2023, and 94 percent in 2022.

The analysis found that more than 50,000 of roughly 143,000 available seats remained unfilled during that stretch, while credit and debit card transaction data showed spending on Kennedy Center tickets dropped by more than half compared with the previous year. That level of decline had not been seen since 2020, when the venue was largely shuttered due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Francesca Zambello, artistic director of the Washington National Opera, said sales were down 38 percent and contributions had also fallen, attributing the downturn to audience resistance following the leadership change.

The shift placed President Donald Trump as chair of the board and installed new management, a move after which subscriptions to the center’s main seasons were reportedly down 36 percent by early summer. Leadership has said publicly that attendance will grow as audiences respond to what it describes as a new programming direction.

The leadership has publicly maintained that the new direction is what audiences want. Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said in a podcast appearance that the Center is “doing the big things that people want to see” and that attendance will grow as more people recognize its “common-sense programming.” 

The Kennedy Center, established in 1971 and named in honor of President John F. Kennedy, is Washington’s leading performing arts venue and hosts theater, music, dance, and national cultural events. The White House has not announced when the name change would formally take effect.