Trump says Kennedy Center will close in July for two-year renovation
By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN
(CNN) — The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will close for roughly two years to allow for extensive renovations, President Donald Trump said Sunday, a move that comes as the nation’s preeminent arts institution contends with a flood of cancellations.
Trump has made reshaping the Washington institution a priority in his second term, and in December his handpicked board of trustees added his name to the building, leading to a wave of artists pulling out of performances.
Trump, who is chair of the center’s board, said on social media he determined the closure, slated for July 4, “will produce a much faster and higher quality result” as he seeks to rebuild the complex.
Trump said the move is pending approval by the center’s board.
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before,” he said, adding that financing is “fully in place.”
Trump did not elaborate on how the project will be financed or how much it will cost.
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center and the White House for additional details.
Since Trump added his name to the complex, award-winning composer Philip Glass withdrew the June world premiere of his symphony based on Abraham Lincoln and the Washington National Opera cut ties with the center.
Even before the center was rebranded in December, Trump’s aggressive push to reshape the institution had prompted some artists to pull out of performances.
After Trump’s board elected him chair in February, artists including Issa Rae, Renée Fleming, Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds resigned from their leadership roles or canceled events at the space. And Jeffrey Seller, producer of the hit musical “Hamilton,” canceled the show’s planned run.
Trump has claimed the complex, which hosts major events such as the Kennedy Center Honors, is in “tremendous disrepair” and “not going to be woke.”
His “One Big, Beautiful Bill” included $257 million for “necessary expenses for capital repair, restoration, maintenance backlog, and security structures.”
Trump has since touted restoration of the exterior marble, the interior chairs and “fully” renovated stages, which he said last summer would be complete within a year.
Even in the midst of early renovations, the venue has served as a vehicle for Trump to elevate work that aligns with his artistic preferences. He hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in December, doling out awards to Sylvester Stallone, the rock band KISS and Gloria Gaynor. And last week, the center hosted the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary.
The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 in Washington, DC, was designated as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1964. It typically puts on more than 2,000 performances in a typical year, according to its website.
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
