The Washington National Opera has announced its spring 2026 season will be presented at new venues across the Washington, D.C. area following its decision to end a more than five-decade affiliation with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

This marks a significant transition for the company, which has performed at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House since the venue’s opening in 1971 but will now resume operations as an independent nonprofit organization.

The move comes after the opera and the Kennedy Center agreed to an amicable early termination of their affiliation agreement, a shift driven in part by structural and financial changes at the Kennedy Center under its current leadership and broader changes in the arts landscape.

In March, the company will present Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha and Robert Ward’s The Crucible at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University, a location that holds historical resonance as the site of the company’s first performances in 1956. Tickets for these productions will go on sale later this month, with subscriber pre-sales beginning earlier.

The opera also plans a May presentation of West Side Story, with the specific venue to be announced soon, and additional concerts and events throughout the region as part of its 70th anniversary season.

This regional approach reflects the company’s commitment to reach diverse audiences while adapting to its new independent status. The Washington National Opera has reported a surge of financial support from donors since the announcement of its departure from the Kennedy Center, reinforcing confidence in the company’s artistic mission and community backing.

Leaders of the opera have described the return to Lisner Auditorium as both a homecoming and a renewal, underscoring optimism about the creative possibilities of performing in a variety of spaces and engaging with audiences across the metropolitan area. The opera’s leadership has emphasized that these changes align with its long-term vision of sustainability and artistic excellence as it embarks on this next chapter.