Since Donald J. Trump’s recent announcement to close the Kennedy Center for two years beginning in July 2026, the center’s union staffers have released a statement in protest of the decision. 

Trump’s announcement is a reversal of his previous statement that the center would remain open throughout the process of the planned renovations. 

While this comes as many high-profile artists have withdrawn their shows from the center in the wake of the center’s new leadership under Trump, the latter made no mention of the concert cancellations in his new announcement.

“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment,” Trump wrote.

The Kennedy Center Arts Workers United has since released a public statement in response to the planned closure of the major cultural institution. 

“At this time, no formal notice or briefing has been provided to the unions of arts workers whose labor sustains the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” the union expressed. “We only know of public statements issued by President Trump and an internal message to some Kennedy Center employees that reiterated the President's social media remarks.

“A pause in Kennedy Center operations without due regard for those who work there would be harmful for the arts and creative workers in America,” they added. “Should we receive formal notice of a temporary suspension of Kennedy Center operations that displaces our members, we will enforce our contracts and exercise all our rights under the law.

“We expect continued fair pay, enforceable worker protections, and accountability for our members in the event they cannot work due to an operational pause. Our members remain steadfast in bringing to life theatrical, music, opera, dance, and other live artistic performances in the nation's capital that speak to and resonate with all Americans.”

 

The announcement has thrown the future of the center into doubt — former president of the Kennedy Center from 2001 to 2014, Michael Kaiser, told the New York Times: “When you shut down, not only do you lose all your ticket sales, but your donors wander away. They don’t just sit at home waiting for those two years to pass.”

Allegedly, Trump is approaching the renovation of the center in a different way than has been done at other institutions. As explained by Deborah Borda, who served as president CEO of the NY Phil during the $550 million rebuilding of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, those renovations were planned for years in advance of construction and despite efforts to minimize the impact on scheduled artists, “it was very difficult and it was hard on the orchestra.”

While the Washington National Opera announced its departure from the center after more than 50 years in residence, leaders of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) have not joined the string of performers withdrawing concerts from the center. 

The NSO has told its musicians that the center had assured them it would help find other venues where they can perform while the renovation takes place, NYT reports, saying that they “are now working on a formal plan” and “will share more” in the following weeks. 

Ticket sales and audience engagement at the center have dipped significantly following Trump’s turnover of the center’s leadership and had his name added to the building’s exterior.  

It is currently unclear if the venue’s prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, which Mr. Trump hosted in December — would move forward during the shutdown period from July 2026. However, the Vienna Philharmonic wrote in a statement this week that it was going ahead with a planned concert at the center in March 2026. 

Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, said his organization makes a point of doing renovation work when there are no performances scheduled.

“Performing arts companies as a rule want to stay open if at all possible in order not to lose their audiences,” he told NYT. “Being closed for two years would make it very difficult for any performing arts organization to maintain its audience. And without an audience, we can’t exist.”