US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington’s iconic Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will be closed for nearly two years for what he described as a major renovation and rebuilding exercise. The closure is expected to begin on July 4, coinciding with the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations, and is subject to approval by the center’s board.

Trump, who currently serves as chairman of the Kennedy Center board, said shutting down all performances was the quickest way to complete construction work without disruption. Announcing the decision on his Truth Social platform, he said, “I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time.”

He added that ongoing concerts, operas, musicals and ballet performances would slow renovation efforts, insisting that a full closure was necessary. “The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” Trump said. “America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”

The scope of the proposed “complete rebuilding” remains unclear. The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 as a living memorial to former president John F Kennedy, has long been criticised by Trump as outdated and in need of extensive upgrades.

The announcement has triggered widespread debate on social media, with speculation ranging from severe financial stress to concerns that the existing structure could be replaced entirely.


Author and activist Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family, claimed on X that the venue is struggling because “no one wants to perform there any longer” and that “everybody’s canceling”.”

Since Trump assumed the chairmanship and reshaped the board, several high-profile artists and productions have withdrawn from the venue, including the musical Hamilton, soprano Renée Fleming and composer Philip Glass. The Washington National Opera has also announced plans to leave the Kennedy Center, its longtime home.

The addition of Trump’s name to the institution and its facade has drawn criticism, particularly as the change reportedly did not receive congressional approval. Internal disruptions have followed as well, with Kevin Couch resigning as senior vice president of artistic planning just days after his appointment.

Financial pressures have compounded the controversy. A Washington Post review published last year reported that ticket sales at the Kennedy Center had dropped to their lowest levels since the pandemic, leaving tens of thousands of seats unsold. Television ratings for the annual Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by Trump in December, also fell sharply, with viewership down 25 percent from the previous year, according to Nielsen data.

AFP