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Washington 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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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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Coverage Details
Total News Sources89
Leaning Left23Leaning Right11Center44Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 30%
C 56%
14%
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