Trump Announces Two-Year Closure of Kennedy Center to Forge ‘World-Class’ Arts Destination

President Donald Trump has announced plans to temporarily close the Trump Kennedy Center for an extensive two-year revitalization and rebuilding project, stating that a full shutdown is necessary to ensure superior construction quality and accelerated completion.

In a statement released Sunday, Trump emphasized that after a one-year review involving contractors, musical experts, art institutions, and advisors, the center must close temporarily. “The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result,” he declared, noting that without shutdown, construction would suffer from disruptions caused by ongoing events.

Trump specified that the center will close on July 4, 2026, with a grand reopening scheduled for summer 2028. He noted that financing is “completed and fully in place” and described the project as transforming a “tired, broken, and dilapidated” facility into “a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment.”

Richard Grenell, who has served as president of the center, praised Trump’s decision. Grenell stated that the name addition to the center was in recognition of Trump’s role in saving it from decades of neglect. “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,” he said.

Grenell also highlighted that Congress had recently appropriated a historic $257 million to address years of deferred maintenance at the center. “President Trump has a reputation for delivering large construction projects on time, under budget and beautifully finished,” Grenell concluded in his statement.

The announcement follows demonstrations by left-wing protesters against the decision to add Trump’s name to the center.