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in the eight months since President Donald Trump took office kennedy centerAccording to a new report, ticket sales have declined by nearly 50 percent.
a few weeks after recovery white House, trump expelled members of kennedy center board and chose replacement establish oneself In the form of a chair.
Since then, thousands of seats have remained vacant kennedy centerAccording to an analysis of ticket sales, the three largest performance venues Washington Post,
43 percent occupancy at opera houses, concert halls and the Eisenhower Theater from September 3 to October 19. stamp Remained unsold for specific production Post found.
That figure marks one Significant decline in sales Over the same time period over the past two years. In 2024, 93 percent of sales occurred between September and October; The analysis found that in 2023, 80 percent of sales would occur during that time frame.
Independent The Kennedy Center has been contacted for comment.
Tickets sold probably also included tickets that were given away for free to Kennedy Center staff or members of the media.
The Post found that consumers spent less money at the center during any other year since 2018, except 2020, when it was closed for months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Empty seats may now be a staple of Kennedy Center performances – but in recent years, empty seats were somewhat of a rarity.
In the same period of September-October last year, an average of only 7 per cent of seats remained unsold on the day of the performance. This compares with 20 percent that remained unsold in 2023 and only 6 percent in 2022.
Even in 2021, when the institute was recovering from closure during the pandemic, there were still fewer seats available. That year 34 percent seats remained unsold whereas this year 43 percent seats were sold.
“Given the unprecedented acquisition of a non-partisan arts institution with the inexperience and rhetoric of the new management, I expected a decline in sales; however, it is truly shocking to see that these actions have been worse for business at the Kennedy Center than in the aftermath of a global pandemic,” a former staff member told the outlet. “These numbers are likely to be more serious than they appear, as they do not account for productions canceled or shows moved to smaller theaters due to weak ticket sales.”
Michael Kaiser, who served as president of the Kennedy Center from 2001 to 2014, warned that fundraising efforts could also be impacted.
“Low ticket sales not only reduce revenue; they also bode adversely for future fundraising revenues,” Kaiser told the Post.
“The majority of donors are ticket buyers who are eager to improve their relationship with the organization by making a contribution in addition to paying for their tickets. By the time I left the Center in 2014 we had 40,000 generous individual donors. The money received from these individuals formed the foundation for much of what we accomplished.”
On Friday, Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell announced a “record-breaking 30 days of donor and sponsor support” for the venue, raising $58 million, he said in a social media release. Post on Friday, hours after the Post’s analysis was published.
He said the center “has a balanced budget for the first time in decades” and credited Trump for being “a visionary for how struggling arts institutions across the United States can survive.”
“Since President Trump took over leadership of the Kennedy Center in February, every one of our shows has either made money or lost money (a huge change from what was happening) – thanks to patrons and show donors, we have not lost money on any show,” Grenell said. “The Kennedy Center is showing art institutions how to move forward.”