President Trump announced Sunday that the Kennedy Center will close for two years beginning in July 2026 to undergo a major restoration and expansion aimed at revitalizing the iconic arts institution.
“The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4th, 2026, in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country, whereupon we will simultaneously begin Construction of the new and spectacular Entertainment Complex,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Financing is completed, and fully in place!”
U.S. President Donald Trump:
"After a one year review of The Trump Kennedy Center, that has taken place with Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants, deciding between either Construction with Closure and Re-Opening or, Partial… pic.twitter.com/FrtKDEMvpt
Trump said a one-time, two-year closure is the most efficient way to modernize the facility and elevate it to global prominence, rather than stretching construction out over many years with partial closures that disrupt performances.
The president added that the plan is “totally subject to board approval.”
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump ally, praised the announcement in a post on X, calling it a long-overdue step toward restoring the institution.
“I am also grateful to Congress for appropriating an historic $257M to finally address decades of deferred maintenance and repairs at the Trump Kennedy Center,” Grenell wrote.
“Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently preserve the Center, but to make it the finest Arts Institution in the world,” he continued. “It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense – it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster.”
I am grateful for President Trump’s visionary leadership. I am also grateful to Congress for appropriating an historic $257M to finally address decades of deferred maintenance and repairs at the Trump Kennedy Center.
Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently…
In December, the Kennedy Center board voted to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” reflecting Trump’s increased leadership role. That same month, Trump made history by becoming the first sitting president to emcee the Kennedy Center Honors.
The changes followed Trump’s overhaul of the institution’s leadership earlier in the year, after he criticized the center for drifting too far left ideologically. He removed several bipartisan board members and installed himself as chairman, pledging to refocus the arts hub on excellence, tradition, and broad public appeal.
The announcement of the potential closure came just days after President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the world premiere of her documentary film, Melania, at the Kennedy Center on Thursday.
