Canada’s National Arts Centre Rejects 2026 Shen Yun Performance

Editor’s Note: On July 29, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) published a report by senior journalist Raffy Boudjikanian titled “Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Cuts Ties with Controversial Chinese Dance Group”. According to the article, the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa announced that Shen Yun — an arts troupe affiliated with the Falun Gong cult — has not been scheduled in its 2026 performance lineup. The report also revealed that Shen Yun had violated contractual agreements by operating an unauthorized ticket booth at the venue, while also engaging in other inappropriate conduct such as ejecting disabled audience members and taking photos without permission during performances.

CBC report screenshot

According to the report, on January 13, Heather Gibson, Executive Producer of Popular Music and Variety Programming at the NAC, sent an email to NAC CEO Christopher Deacon and Annabelle Cloutier, Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, recommending that the Centre not collaborate with Shen Yun in 2026 due to repeated breaches of contract. Deacon responded in support of Gibson’s decision.

NAC CEO Christopher Deacon

Myriam Lamontagne, a NAC executive who worked on Shen Yun’s 2024 performance, stated that the group operated an unauthorized ticket booth on the premises in clear violation of its contract. “This violates our agreement and is unacceptable”, she told Shen Yun staff, asking them to shut it down. However, she said the situation escalated: “They turned around and began questioning me — as if I had no authority over what happens inside our own theatre”.

Lamontagne further noted that Shen Yun staff took photos of audience members without their consent during the show. When she instructed them to stop, they refused.

NAC staff also reported that during the 2025 performance, Shen Yun ejected three wheelchair users from the theatre merely for making involuntary sounds due to their disabilities. Although the group refunded their tickets, the incident sparked concern within the NAC. In an April 30 email, senior manager Robyn Gilchrist expressed alarm over the episode, saying she and others discussed the situation and believed that “these human rights violations expose the theatre to potential complaints”.

In a written statement to CBC, the National Arts Centre confirmed that Shen Yun is not part of its 2026 program lineup. The Centre added that the use of its venue depends on scheduling priorities and that in-house artistic programming takes precedence over external rentals.

The NAC emphasized in its statement that all programming and rental decisions are made independently and are not influenced by outside parties.

National Arts Centre

Previously, Place des Arts — Canada’s largest performing arts complex located in Montreal — also announced that it would not host Shen Yun performances next year.

CBC’s report also cited a 2024 New York Times investigation, which found that Shen Yun forced young dancers to work excessively long hours, denied them medical care when injured, and subjected them to emotional abuse. The investigation further alleged that over the past decade, Shen Yun has profited by hundreds of millions of dollars through unethical and possibly illegal practices.