US EditionBoard approves Trump plan to close Kennedy Center for two years
The Kennedy Center will close for two years after July 4 to undergo renovations amid legal challenges and artist cancellations linked to leadership changes.
- On Monday, the Kennedy Center board unanimously voted to close the facility for two years following the July 4 holiday, with Rep. Joyce Beatty attending after a federal judge compelled document disclosure.
- President Donald Trump installed his own board and renamed the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center, then justified the closure as necessary for "major renovations" while replacing Richard Grenell with Matt Floca to oversee construction.
- Federal Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the board to release renovation budgets and documents, ruling Beatty was entitled to the information after the administration circulated only outdated health assessments from 2021 and 2022.
- Deborah Borda, president emerita of the New York Philharmonic, warned in sworn declarations that the two-year closure would cause severe, immediate harm, with performers leaving and donors developing new institutional loyalties.
- Rep. Joyce Beatty continues challenging the legality of the closure and renaming, arguing "no president has the authority to shut Congress out of the governance of the Kennedy Center, much less unilaterally rename or demolish it.
112 Articles
112 Articles
Kennedy Center to close for 2 years after turbulence
WASHINGTON — The Kennedy Center's board of directors voted Monday to shut down operations for two years after this summer's July 4 celebrations. The widely expected decision comes in the wake of numerous resignations and cancellations during President Donald Trump's…
Kennedy Center Closing for Two Years After Trump Board Votes Unanimously for $257M Renovation
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will go dark after 4 July, and performing arts experts say what comes next could permanently wreck the institution's cultural standing. President Donald Trump's hand-picked board of trustees voted unanimously on 16 March to approve a two-year closure and roughly $257 million (£193 million) renovation of the Washington performing arts centre, funded through Congress's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The vote…
Richard Grenell Tries to Shame New York Times Journalist Over Kennedy Center Question, Gets Ridiculed Instead
Richard Grenell attempted to shame New York Times journalist Elizabeth Williamson by sharing their text exchange, but instead found himself roasted on social media. The former president and executive director for the Kennedy Center took to X Monday evening and accused Williamson of being “a left wing hack who lies about Republicans” after she inquired via text about his exit from the performing arts venue. “Elizabeth Williamson isn’t a journalis…
Kennedy Center to Shut Down Operations for 2 Years Following Board Vote
The Kennedy Center’s board of directors voted on Monday to shut down operations for two years following this summer’s July 4 celebrations. The widely expected decision comes in the wake of numerous resignations and cancellations during President Donald Trump’s second term, although Trump himself has cited the need for repairs as a reason for the closure. “We’re going to ensure it remains the finest performing arts facility of its kind anywhere…
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