President Donald Trump announced the Kennedy Center will close on July 4 for about two years to allow large-scale renovations, saying the pause will speed work and improve quality. The closure is subject to approval by a board whose members were appointed by the president, and he said financing is "fully in place." The announcement follows a wave of artist cancellations after the venue was rebranded, including composer Philip Glass withdrawing a June premiere. Trump has earmarked $257 million in his proposal for capital repairs and security upgrades.
Trump Announces Kennedy Center Will Close July 4 For Two-Year Renovation Amid Artist Backlash
President Donald Trump looks down from the Presidential Box in the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 17, 2025. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/File
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington will close beginning July 4 for roughly two years to allow extensive renovations, President Donald Trump said Sunday.
Trump — who is listed as chairman of the newly rebranded "Trump Kennedy Center," according to his post — wrote on social media that he determined the temporary shutdown "will produce a much faster and higher quality result" as part of plans to rebuild the complex. He said the decision is pending approval by the center’s board, whose members were appointed by the president.
"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," Trump wrote, adding that financing is "fully in place."
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center and the White House for additional details and comment.
Artist Cancellations and Controversy
The president's announcement comes as the nation's leading performing arts center faces a wave of cancellations that began after the board added the president’s name to the venue. Most recently, award-winning composer Philip Glass withdrew the June world premiere of his symphony inspired by Abraham Lincoln.
Critics and some artists have said the renaming and the president’s involvement politicize the institution, while supporters argue the renovations and funding will revitalize the landmark performing-arts complex.
Funding And Planned Work
Reshaping the Kennedy Center has been a priority for Trump during his second term. His legislative proposal titled the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" included $257 million earmarked for "necessary expenses for capital repair, restoration, maintenance backlog, and security structures." Trump has promoted plans to restore the exterior marble, replace interior seating, and deliver fully renovated stages; he previously said those updates could be completed within a year, a timeline that now appears to extend to roughly two years due to the scale of work planned.
Details on the renovation timeline, contractors, scope of work and how programming will be managed during the closure were not provided in the president’s announcement.
Reporting: CNN’s Betsy Klein and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
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