Supported by government money and private donations and attracting millions of visitors each year, the Kennedy Center is a 100-foot high complex featuring a concert hall, opera house and theater, along with a lecture hall, meeting spaces and a “Millennium Stage” that has been the site for free shows.
Award-winning singer-musician Rhiannon Giddens has become the latest artist to call off an appearance at the Kennedy Center, which has been in upheaval since President Donald Trump forced out the center's leadership and was elected chair of the board of trustees.
Giddens is an eclectic roots music performer known for co-founding the Carolina Chocolate Drops and for such collaborations with Francesco Turrisi as the Grammy winning “They're Calling Me Home.” In 2022, she helped write the Pulitzer Prize winning opera “Omar.” She is also a recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” grant.
“I have decided to cancel my show at The Kennedy Center on May 11, 2025 and move it to The Anthem,” she wrote on social media, referring to a separate Washington, D.C. venue.
Actor Issa Rae, author Louise Penny and the rock band Low Cut Connie also have canceled scheduled Kennedy Center events.
