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Trump Orders Two‑Year, $200 Million Kennedy Center Shutdown Starting July 4, 2026

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    Image: AP
  • President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
    Image: Newsweek
    President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Source Full size
  • A tarp covering the the Kennedy Center is dropped as workers finish installing President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the building in Washington, D.C. on Friday, December 19, 2025. (Photo by Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
    Image: Newsweek
    A tarp covering the the Kennedy Center is dropped as workers finish installing President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the building in Washington, D.C. on Friday, December 19, 2025. (Photo by Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) Source Full size
  • President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
    Image: Newsweek
    President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Source Full size
  • A tarp covering the the Kennedy Center is dropped as workers finish installing President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the building in Washington, D.C. on Friday, December 19, 2025. (Photo by Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
    Image: Newsweek
    A tarp covering the the Kennedy Center is dropped as workers finish installing President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the building in Washington, D.C. on Friday, December 19, 2025. (Photo by Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) Source Full size

Announcement Made Via Social Media on Feb. 1‑2, 2026 President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social/X that the John F. Kennedy Center will close for approximately two years beginning July 4, 2026, to allow a full‑scale renovation, a plan that still awaits formal board endorsement [2][3][4][5][6][7].

Renovation Budget Around $200 Million, Funded by $257 Million Allocation Trump cited a $200 million overhaul covering high‑grade marble, roof replacement, exposed steel inspection, new HVAC and security upgrades, and said the $257 million domestic‑agenda appropriation earmarked last summer fully finances the work [1][2][5][6][7].

Board Overhaul and Renaming Spark Legal and Familial Opposition After dismissing the prior trustees, Trump installed allies, assumed chairmanship, and the December board vote renamed the venue “Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” prompting a lawsuit by Rep. Joyce Beatty and public condemnation from Kennedy family members [4][7][1].

Artist Boycott Leaves Schedule in Turmoil and Threatens Jobs High‑profile cancellations—including composer Philip Glass, the Washington National Opera, and dozens of performers—followed the renaming and closure announcement; staff learned of the shutdown from the president’s post, and the center faces declining ticket sales and potential layoffs [3][5][4][1].

Discrepancy Over Board Consent Highlights Governance Conflict CNN reported the board had not been consulted before the announcement, whereas other outlets note that board approval is a prerequisite for the project, underscoring tension between Trump’s unilateral actions and the trustees’ formal role [1][3].

Sources

Timeline

1963 – The assassination of President John F. Kennedy spurs congressional plans for a national performing‑arts memorial, later becoming the Kennedy Center [3].

1964 – Congress passes a law establishing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a “living memorial” to the slain president, fixing its name in statute [3][12].

Dec 2, 1983 – An amendment to the 1964 law explicitly prohibits adding any further memorials or exterior name changes to the Center [12].

Jan 2025 – After returning to office, President Donald Trump fires the existing Kennedy Center board and installs allies, positioning himself as chairman and reshaping governance [26].

Dec 18, 2025 – The Trump‑appointed board votes unanimously to rename the venue “The Donald J Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” sparking immediate controversy [5][14][26].

Dec 19, 2025 – New signage bearing Trump’s name is installed on the Center’s façade and the website is updated, cementing the rebranding [13][25].

Dec 24, 2025 – The Center cancels its annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam after host Chuck Redd withdraws in protest of the renaming, ending a two‑decade tradition [23].

Dec 25, 2025 – Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell announces a $1 million damages claim against Redd, calling the cancellation a “political stunt” [11][22].

Dec 27, 2025 – The Center formally seeks $1 million from Redd; Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty files a lawsuit arguing the name change violates the 1964 memorial statute [3][4].

Dec 30, 2025 – Artists including The Cookers, Doug Varone and Dancers, and folk singer Kristy Lee cancel scheduled shows, with Grenell labeling the withdrawals “derangement syndrome” [2][9][21].

Jan 8, 2026 – Grammy‑nominated singer Sonia De Los Santos cancels Feb 7 concerts, saying the Center’s climate after the Trump rebranding is “not welcoming” for her and her audience [20].

Feb 1, 2026 – Trump announces on X that the Kennedy Center will shut for two years beginning July 4, 2026, calling the plan a “World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment” [19].

Feb 2, 2026 – In a Truth Social post, Trump declares the July 4 closure will last until 2028 and promises the venue will become “the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World” [1].

Feb 2, 2026 – Trump asserts that $257 million is fully secured for the project and describes the Center as “run down,” “dilapidated,” and “sort of dangerous” [15].

Feb 2, 2026 – Trump unveils a $200 million “steel‑exposed” renovation plan, saying the overhaul will leave the building’s steel framework visible and install high‑grade marble [6].

Feb 2, 2026 – Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell tweets that the shutdown will be brief and will create a stronger “National Cultural and Entertainment Complex” [7].

Feb 3, 2026 – The renovation proposal presented to appropriators details exterior marble and roof replacement, security upgrades, and new HVAC systems, though it stops short of a full teardown [6].

July 4, 2026 (Planned) – The Kennedy Center is scheduled to close for a two‑year renovation, with a target reopening in mid‑2028 [1][15][16].

Mid‑2028 (Planned) – The Center aims to reopen as the “finest performing arts facility” after completing the $200 million overhaul [1].

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