Kennedy Center will close for 2 years for renovations, Trump says, after performers’ backlash

Photo: President Donald Trump delivers opening remarks at the Kennedy Center Honors celebrating Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, members of KISS, and Michael Crawford at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Sunday, December 7, 2025. Photo credit: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok via Flickr. US government work. Article by Michelle L. Price and Lisa Mascaro. AP News – February 1, 2026.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts center for two years starting in July for construction, his latest proposal to upturn the storied venue since returning to the White House. Trump’s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups since the president ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations. […]

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