Presenting more than 2,000 performances annually and nearly 2 million visitors, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America's busiest arts facility. The Kennedy Center presents the greatest performers in music, dance, and theater to the public. As part of the Kennedy Center's extentive Performing Arts for Everyone outreach program, hundreds of free performances are offered every year featuring national and local artists. These outreach programs include daily concerts on the Millennium Stage, dozens of performances during the annual Open House Arts Festival, and seasonal music concerts in December as part of Holidays at the Kennedy Center.

Every year, 20 million people attend Kennedy Center touring productions such as Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour for young people and families or tune in to television or radio broadcasts, including: The Kennedy Center Honors, The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize, and Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center on National Public Radio.