Kennedy Center warns of 'certain financial collapse' within weeks and closure as soon as Tuesday, Sept. 15

A 57-page packet sent to trustees before a special board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 15 warns the Center could be unable to make payroll or pay routine maintenance contracts within weeks. The papers call the shortfall 'certain financial collapse.' A federal judge enjoined the shutdown on May 29 and ordered Trump's name off the building; performances stopped anyway after July 4, under the board's March 16 renovation vote. About 300 staff remain on the payroll; the papers warn 75 to 175 positions would go in a full shutdown.

How ticket and donor demand fell after the takeover:

• Subscription sales for fall 2025 were down about $1.6 million, roughly 36 percent, against the prior year.
• Ticket buyers were down about 70 percent against the same period in each of the prior three years; 43 percent of seats sat unsold Sept. 3-Oct. 19 against 7 percent in 2024 — both figures from the trustees' packet reported by the Post.
• Washington National Opera — resident since 1971 — left in January 2026, saying the Center's new requirement that productions be fully funded in advance does not fit its finances (NPR); it now sues over $17 million in withheld donations.