Trump Announces Two-Year Closure of Kennedy Center, Sparking Backlash from Artists

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to close the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts for nearly two years, citing major renovation and reconstruction work— a move that has sparked fresh controversy across America’s cultural community.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump said the Kennedy Center will be shut down from July this year to allow extensive refurbishment, with the closure expected to last until mid-2027.

The announcement came amid growing protests from artists and cultural figures, many of whom have already canceled performances in response to the removal of the center’s previous leadership and opposition to Trump associating his own name with the institution. Trump did not directly address those protests in his statement.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“I have decided that the fastest way to bring the ‘Trump Kennedy Center’ to the highest level of success, beauty, and grandeur is to completely close it for almost two years.”
He added that the temporary shutdown would produce “faster and far better results.”

Al Jazeera reported that the closure is scheduled to begin on July 4, the day the United States marks its 250th Independence Day. Trump said the plan would require approval from the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees—most of whom he personally selected after assuming the role of board chairman.

The president argued that continuing concerts, operas, musicals, ballet performances, and interactive arts programs would delay construction work, making a full shutdown necessary.
“If the Trump Kennedy Center is temporarily closed for construction, revitalization, and complete reconstruction,” he said, “it can undoubtedly become the greatest performing arts center in the world.”

Trump also said future generations would take pride in what he described as a “new and beautiful facility.”

The Kennedy Center has not issued an immediate response to the announcement.

Originally established as a national cultural center, the complex was designated by the US Congress as a “living memorial” to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1964. The center officially opened in 1971 and has since served as a major venue for the National Symphony Orchestra and numerous performing arts organizations.

Since Trump became chairman of the board, many artists and performers have withdrawn from scheduled appearances in protest of his policies. The Washington National Opera has also recently announced plans to leave the Kennedy Center, despite having been based there since the venue’s opening.

The proposed closure has reignited debate over political influence in cultural institutions and the future direction of one of America’s most prominent arts centers.