President Donald Trump announced that the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will temporarily be closed starting this summer in order to speed up renovations and construction projects for the building.
Trump said the closure will begin on July 4, 2026, and last “approximately” two years, after which there will be a “Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a Facility before.”
He said he made the decision after a one-year review of the performing arts center that included discussions with “Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants.” Trump added that the building being completely closed, as opposed to continuing performances with construction ongoing, “will produce a much faster and higher quality result.”
“Based on these findings, and totally subject to Board approval, I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time,” he posted on Truth Social. “Therefore, The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4th, 2026, in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country, whereupon we will simultaneously begin Construction of the new and spectacular Entertainment Complex.”
The president said financing for the construction has already been secured and that the project 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.”
Trump has made remaking and remodeling the Kennedy Center a higher priority in his second term than was perhaps expected.
That has included firing most of its previous board members, realigning its programming, securing hundreds of millions of dollars for renovations, and adding his name to the center.
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The latter decision was particularly contentious, leading to cancellations of program and boycotts from some performers. While it had to be approved by the board, those members were all handpicked by Trump, who is the chairman of the center.
Just last week, Kevin Couch, the senior vice president for artistic programming at the Kennedy Center, resigned mere weeks after his hiring announcement. He reportedly declined to give a reason for his resignation.