President Donald Trump announced Feb. 1 that the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will close for roughly two years, beginning July 4, to undergo a major construction and revitalization project.
“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 in a Truth Social post. “Financing is completed, and fully in place!”
Trump said a full closure would be the fastest way “to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur” as opposed to partial closures for construction that would have to work around scheduled performances. He said the decision followed a year-long review involving contractors, arts advisers, and other experts. The plan still requires approval from the Center’s board.
Trump Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell praised the announcement on X, thanking Trump for his “visionary leadership.”
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.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 2, 2026
Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently…
“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,” Grenell wrote. “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.”
Trump did not provide an estimated cost or detail how the project will be financed. Grenell, however, credited Congress with “appropriating [a] historic $257M to finally address decades of deferred maintenance and repairs at the Trump Kennedy Center.”
The center, which opened in 1971, hosts hundreds of performances annually and houses several resident arts companies. In recent years, it has faced financial strain and structural challenges, worsened by artist and donor cancellations after the board voted in 2025 to rename the venue to include Trump’s name ahead of Kennedy’s, FOX News reported.
Trump’s announcement is the latest in a series of large-scale construction initiatives he has promoted since his return to office. In October, he detailed plans for an arch near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. He has also announced plans for an 89,000-square-foot White House ballroom, which he and a group of private donors have pledged to fund.