President Donald Trump announced Feb. 1 that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will undergo major renovations, marking the latest change to the Washington landmark since he assumed control of its governing board earlier this year.
The center, which opened in 1971 as a living memorial to the assassinated president, has long served as one of the nation’s premier venues for performing arts and cultural programming.
The renovations, scheduled to begin July 4, come amid growing controversy over Trump’s overhaul of the institution. At the start of his second term, Trump replaced the center’s board with political allies, who elected him chair and voted in December to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” and remove Pride-related events from its programming, according to NBC. The moves have drawn criticism from artists, members of the Kennedy family and Democratic lawmakers and have prompted legal challenges over whether the changes are lawful.
Trump did not consult Congress — which funded, established and named the building — on the decision. Lawmakers issued a statement arguing that Trump’s alterations to the memorial that were originally authorized by Congress in 1958 as the National Cultural Center are unlawful.
Trump said the renovations will not demolish the building,and he initially considered leaving sections of the building open during the renovations.
Trump’s renovations will include updated heating and air conditioning, as well as “exterior marble and roofing replacements, security and safety improvements, and seating replacement,” a CNN-reviewed document reported.
“I’m not ripping it down,” Trump told The New York Times reporters Feb. 2. “I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure, we’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down.”
Despite those assurances, some residents worry the project could substantially alter the landmark. CNN reported concerns that the renovation could resemble the controversial rebuilding of the White House East Wing, in which large portions of the structure were replaced.
So far, ticket sales and venue bookings for the 2026-2027 performance season have dropped significantly. Since the renaming, there have been boycotts of several Kennedy Center programs, damaging the venue’s income this year, CNN reported.
Even artists and groups with strong histories with the center are cutting ties. The Washington National Opera decided on Jan. 9 to find a new venue, despite having played the Kennedy Center since its opening in 1971, according to The New York Times.
The long-term closure of the building itself surprised staffers, in-house musicians and even some board members, says CNN. Many employees “are now bracing for more layoffs,” according to a CNN source, after receiving news of the building’s closure at such short notice.
While Trump acknowledged uncertainty surrounding the rapid changes, critics say the administration has not provided clear answers about the center’s future.
