San Francisco Ballet Cancels Kennedy Center Engagement Scheduled May 27-31

The San Francisco Ballet removed its May 27–31, 2026 engagement at the Kennedy Center from the company’s touring calendar after its Board of Trustees voted to cancel the run, the company’s public listings and media reports show. The engagement was to present Mere Mortals, a contemporary ballet inspired by artificial intelligence and Greek mythology.

SF Ballet’s only public line reported across outlets said, “SF Ballet looks forward to performing for Washington, D.C. audiences in the future.” The company did not publish further explanatory language tied to the Board vote in the notices removed from its calendar, according to the reporting that tracked the deletion.

The cancellation comes amid an online petition and public pressure that KQED and other outlets say forced renewed scrutiny of the planned visit. KQED reported the petition, started by longtime SF Ballet supporter Daniel Detorie, had amassed over 7,400 signatures; Sfist reported the petition had reached about 7,000 signatures. KQED quoted the petition’s language: “This isn’t just about art. It’s about preserving principles that ensure our performing arts remain an unbiased reflection of our diverse society.”

KQED also reported the planned performances were removed from the SF Ballet website “this past Saturday” in the outlet’s timeline and were subsequently taken down from the Kennedy Center’s schedule. KQED said that The Bold Italic first reported the Board vote; BroadwayWorld, Slippedisc, Sfist and ABC7 carried similar accounts that the Board of Trustees had voted to cancel the engagement.

Details about the length and number of shows vary in coverage. Multiple outlets list the dates as May 27–31, 2026, while BroadwayWorld citing New York Times reporting says seven performances had been planned. ABC7 described the engagement once as a four-day run. Those conflicting counts were left unreconciled in the public notices and reporting.

The cancellation is the latest in a string of programming withdrawals tied to controversy at the Kennedy Center since governance changes last year. KQED reported that Donald Trump was elected chair of the Kennedy Center in February 2025 and that the Center’s name was altered in December, language some outlets now use when referring to the venue as the Trump-Kennedy Center. BroadwayWorld, citing New York Times reporting, quoted Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell as saying, “Professional artists should perform for everyone - not just for people they agree with politically.” Coverage citing the New York Times also attributed this line to a Kennedy Center spokeswoman: “Artists are pressured by cancel culture for daring to perform for everyone.”

Industry fallout reported by several outlets has included high-profile cancellations and departures. BroadwayWorld and Slippedisc noted composer Philip Glass pulled the Kennedy Center premiere of his Symphony No. 15 in late January, and outlets listed other artists and institutions that have canceled events. Sfist cited New York Times reporting that ticket sales at the Center have fallen and that dozens of employees have resigned or been fired since the governance changes.

Sfist also reported that San Francisco Ballet continues to present Mere Mortals elsewhere in Europe. With the May 27–31 Washington, D.C. dates removed and the Board’s vote standing, the company’s statement that it looks forward to future performances in Washington remains the sole official response publicly available.