Overview
- Since early September, roughly 43% of tickets went unsold across the center’s three largest venues, leaving more than 50,000 seats empty versus far higher sell or comp rates in 2024 and 2023.
- Consumer Edge credit and debit card data indicate less than half as much was spent on tickets in September and the first half of October compared with the same period in 2024, the lowest since 2018 except for 2020.
- The Kennedy Center declined to provide current financials or comment, prompting the Washington Post to rely on external transaction data and internal staff accounts.
- Current and former staffers attribute the downturn to the leadership overhaul and increased polarization, saying more shows have been comped, canceled, or moved to smaller theaters.
- Programming has shifted under new management, including an influx of Christian events that are often free, while resignations, firings, and broader layoffs have reshaped the programming team, and former president Michael Kaiser warns fundraising could suffer as paid attendance falls.