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Trump Says Kennedy Center Will Close for Two Years for Renovations

  • On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced he will close the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts for two years beginning July 4, 2026, saying financing is completed and fully in place.
  • Framing the work as urgent, Trump argued a full shutdown would enable faster, higher-quality renovations, with the Kennedy Center board of trustees voting to include his name.
  • Several leading artists canceled scheduled appearances, including composer Philip Glass, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Issa Rae, and the Kennedy Center's head of artistic programming abruptly left last week.
  • Facing legal challenge and protests, Rep. Joyce Beatty sued in December, saying Trump acted with 'total disregard for Congress,' while Kennedy family members including Maria Shriver and Kerry Kennedy publicly condemned the renaming and closure.
  • Because the Kennedy Center is congressionally funded, Congress should have been consulted before a two-year shutdown, and earlier this month, the Washington National Opera announced it will move performances away.
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The Kennedy Center, a cultural gem of Washington DC and one of the most important sceneries of the performing arts in the United States, will bring down the curtain for two years starting July 4, just as the country celebrates its 250th anniversary. President Donald Trump, who promises a “complete reconstruction” of the complex, did so, but without fully explaining what that means in practice.Trump said he will not demolish the building, but he …

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The Washington Post broke the news in on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
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