U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the Kennedy Center will close this summer for roughly two years for renovations.
Trump announced on Truth Social that the center would close on July 4 this year “in honour of the 250th Anniversary of our Country.”
The center has been under a critical spotlight after Trump removed previous board members last year and positioned himself as head of the board of trustees.
Highlights
- President Trump announced the Kennedy Center will close on July 4 for two years of renovations, marking the country's 250th anniversary.
- Trump renamed the venue the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center and replaced board members with his allies.
- Artist protests and cancellations surged after the renaming, including major acts like 'Hamilton' and the Washington National Opera.
- Since Trump’s leadership, subscription sales dropped 36%, and ticket sales fell 50%, reflecting a significant audience decline.
Trump announced the Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovations
Image credits: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The closure comes after several artists canceled their performances at the institution, following its renaming as the Trump Kennedy Center.
“The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”
Trump continued, “In other words, if we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!”
The center’s history dates back to 1971, when it started as a national cultural center. It was renamed by Congress as a “living memorial” to former President John F. Kennedy after he was assassinated.
Trump renamed the venue the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts and replaced board members with allies, including Richard Grenell. In December, the board voted “unanimously” to rebrand the venue as the Trump Kennedy Center.
The claim was challenged by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, who said her microphone was “muted” when she tried to speak out against the name change. Trump said the latest closure decision will also be subject to the approval of the board.
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Since Trump took over the board, subscription sales at the venue dropped 36% compared to last year, translating to a $1.6 million decline, The Washington Post reported earlier, and The New York Times reported that single-ticket sales fell by 50% in April and May 2025.
It has also triggered a wave of artist protests and performance cancellations. Jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled his annual Christmas Eve performance. Jazz group The Cookers, dance company Doug Varone and Dancers, and singer Kristy Lee also canceled their scheduled events.
Earlier this month, 18-time Grammy-winning banjo player Béla Fleck announced he would cancel three upcoming performances with the National Symphony Orchestra. He said, “Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music.”
The closure follows criticism and performance cancellations from several artists
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The producers of the award-winning musical Hamilton were also among the withdrawals. The Washington National Opera also recently announced that it would leave the Kennedy Center.
Other canceled appearances include an opera gala hosted by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and performances by the variety show Asian AF and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos.
Funding for the renovation has been secured, though Trump did not provide cost details. He called the center “tired, broken, and dilapidated.”
Last Thursday, the venue hosted a black carpet premiere screening of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania.
Image credits: J. David Ake/Getty Images
This is not the first time Trump has proposed reconstruction plans for American cultural and historical institutions since he began his second term. Last year, in a highly controversial move, he demolished the East Wing of the White House to make space for this $300 million ballroom project.
Trump is also actively pursuing the building of a triumphal arch on the other side of Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for the Washington Dulles International Airport.