Friday, June 26, 2026

More Kennedy Center Cancellations: Rhiannon Giddens, Balun Scratch Shows After Trump Takeover

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Two highly popular acts have cancelled their shows at the Kennedy Center because of Donald Trump.

Rhiannon Giddens has mover her May 11th show to The Anthem venue. She writes: “I cannot in good conscience play at The Kennedy Center with the change in programming direction forced on the institution by this new board.”

The Balun Band will not be playing tomorrrow night. They said: “This choice wasn’t easy, but recent events made it clear that the space no longer aligns with our values. Our safety, integrity, and commitment to justice come first.”

There are more cancellations brewing. No thinking person wants to be associated with the Kennedy Center now that Trump has fired everyone, declared the Center to be “anti-woke,” and announced very Christian programming for Christmas 2025.

What happens to the Kennedy Center Honors? Nothing good, I’m afraid. Stay tuned…

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009, where he covered Michael Jackson, and previously wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine in the mid-1990s, where he covered the O.J. Simpson trial. He also edited Fame magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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