Rhiannon Giddens is joining a number of other artists in taking a stand against Donald Trump‘s Kennedy Center takeover, with the singer-songwriter announcing Tuesday (Feb. 25) that she’s relocating her upcoming show to a different venue amid the president’s controversial changes.
Rather than performing May 11 at the famed Washington, D.C., auditorium as planned, Giddens shared on Instagram that she will now be playing “just down the street” at The Anthem — same date, same time. Of her decision to move locations, the musician wrote, “I cannot in good conscience play at The Kennedy with the recent programming changes forced on the institution by this new board.”
“The Kennedy Center show was booked long before the current administration decided to take over this previously non-political institution,” Giddens explained in her post. “I will say here that I don’t judge anyone for choosing to go on with their shows; it’s a highly difficult situation for artists right now and everyone has to do what makes the most sense for them in the moment.”
The artist also noted that all tickets to her original Kennedy Center show will be refunded at point of purchase.
Giddens’ statement comes almost two weeks after Trump fired many on the board of trustees for the Kennedy Center — a historically bipartisan institution that first opened its doors in 1971 — and named his own supporters in their places. The new board then elected Trump as its new chairman, after which the POTUS shared his plans on Truth Social to put an end to programming “targeting our youth,” specifically naming drag performances as a so-called example.
The consequences of Trump’s promise have already taken effect in the weeks since, with the Kennedy Center recently canceling the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s scheduled Pride Month performance at the venue. On Instagram, the members of the ensemble wrote that they were “deeply disappointed” with the decision in a statement.
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Giddens is only the latest performer to pull out of Kennedy Center obligations in protest of the changes, with Issa Rae canceling her planned appearance at the venue around the same time Philadelphia rock band Low Cut Connie canceled its concert there earlier this month. Ben Folds has also left his position as adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, while Shonda Rhimes has resigned as treasurer of the center’s board.
In a statement announcing the cancellation, Rae explained that her decision was due to “what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.”