The Kennedy Center ticket sales continue to plummet.

According to a new article by The Washington Post, the performing arts center’s ticket sales for three of the largest performance spaces have reportedly fallen to their lowest level in years.

The Post reported that it collected and analyzed ticket sales data from Sept. 3 to Oct. 19 and found that about 43 percent of tickets for typical productions remained unsold. In comparison, the Post reported that about 93 percent of tickets were sold or issued on a complimentary basis in the fall of 2024 and 80 percent in the fall of 2023 before President Trump’s takeover.

According ot the study conducted, the falling ticket sales were reported in the venue’s Opera House, Concert Hall, and Eisenhower Theater.

In an emailed statement to the Post, Michael Kaiser, who served as president of the Kennedy Center from 2001 to 2014, warned that “depressed ticket sales not only cause a shortfall in revenue; they also bode unfavorably for future fundraising revenue”.

According to the Post, the reason for the fall in ticket sales could be due to Trump’s deployment of the national guard which “hurt both tourism and nightlife” and patrons have pledged to boycott the institution while Trump is in power.

The boycott has been met with mixed reviews by administrators like Francesca Zambello, the director of the Washington National Opera, who told parterre that patrons should “Find ways that are constructive to disagree rather than boycotting art and artists. So you’re not only killing the opera, the symphony, [you’re also hurting] all the people who work at the Kennedy Center.”

She also noted that the Washington National Opera was apolitical and “believes culture, opera, art is our calling. It’s a bridge to people…And by boycotting us, you are killing art.”

It is not the first time that plummeting ticket sales have been reported. In June, the New York Times reported that, according to data compiled by anonymous employees, “single-ticket sales were down roughly 50 percent in April and May, compared with the same period in 2024.” The report also noted that revenue was down 82 percent for theater and 57 percent for dance.

Since Trump appointed himself the chair of the Kennedy Center board, he and Vice President J.D. Vance have been booed at the Kennedy Center, which has been under renovation.

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