US EditionTrump Says Kennedy Center Will Close for Two Years for Renovations
Closure aims for faster, higher-quality renovations after a yearlong review; $257 million appropriated for repairs amid performer cancellations following Trump’s rebranding.
- 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.
491 Articles
491 Articles
Donald Trump has decided to close the Kennedy Center for two years for renovations. Critics say it's because ticket sales have plummeted since Trump took office and put his name on the wall outside.
Trump Ripped After Announcing His Plan To Close The Kennedy Center For 'Complete Rebuilding'
MAGA Republican President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he plans to close the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts for two years starting in July 2026.The Kennedy Center complex began as an unattributed national cultural center, but was renamed by Congress as a “living memorial” to assassinated President John F. Kennedy in 1964. Construction for the complex began that year and the center opened in 1971.Trump’s announce…
Kennedy Center President may sing praises about Trump’s reconstruction plans, but Kennedy descendants vehemently disagree
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to close the Kennedy Center for approximately two years to undergo a complete reconstruction. This proposal comes nearly a year after the president took over the arts institution and presidential memorial, remaking it in his own image and adding his name to the facade. However, more interestingly, it comes after lagging ticket sales, multiple artist cancellations, and staff resignation. Trump…
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