Trump says he’s closing the Kennedy Center until 2028 for renovations after artists pull out of performances
President Donald Trump announced he wants to close the Kennedy Center until 2028 to complete renovations.
Trump said the iconic performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will close for two years beginning on July 4, America’s 250th anniversary. This comes after several performers pulled out of performances at the Kennedy Center in recent weeks to protest Trump’s takeover, which has included adding his name to the building.
Trump said the move will be “totally subject to board approval.” Early last year, Trump dismissed several Kennedy Center board members and replaced them with his supporters. He was then named chair of the Kennedy Center.
“Therefore, 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 Sunday on Truth Social. “Financing is completed, and fully in place!”
Trump said the center will open its doors again with a “scheduled Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a Facility before.”
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before,” he wrote.
The announcement comes just days after First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary film, Melania, premiered at the Kennedy Center.
The Independent has contacted the Kennedy Center for comment.
Award-winning composer Philip Glass is among the list several artists who have withdrawn from a performance at the Kennedy Center. Glass was slated to premiere his new work at the venue in June, but in a statement shared to Instagram on Tuesday, he said that “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony.”
Other prominent artists, including actor Issa Rae and musician Peter Wolf, have also withdrawn from their scheduled Kennedy Center appearances.
This wave of pushback came after the White House announced in December that the Kennedy Center’s board voted to add the president’s name to the venue’s title.
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur,” Leavitt wrote on X.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
