Kennedy Center Honors Relocates Amid Dispute Over Trump's Name
The annual gala will be held at Capital One Arena as the Kennedy Center remains closed for renovations following a legal battle over adding President Trump's name to the building.
The Kennedy Center Honors, a prominent celebration of performing arts, will not be held at its namesake venue this year. The event is scheduled for December 7 at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C., according to a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center.
This marks a significant shift for the annual gala, which has regularly taken place at the Kennedy Center Opera House, with a capacity of 2,347, since 1978. Capital One Arena, home to the NBA's Wizards and the NHL's Capitals, can accommodate approximately 20,000 people for concerts, offering a much larger space.
The Kennedy Center has been closed to the public since September 15. This closure followed a vote by its board to shut down the building for renovations after a federal judge blocked the institution from adding President Trump's name to the building without congressional consent. Congress has allocated $257 million for the renovation of the 55-year-old building.
President Trump had previously stated on social media that the extensive renovation project could not commence until a D.C. Circuit court ruled on the board's approved name change. He indicated that if the ruling was negative and overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the renovations would not proceed.
Earlier in the year, the Kennedy Center's board cited a partial ceiling collapse in the Grand Foyer as a reason for the urgent closure. A consultant and the center's director had also previously advised that the main building was unsafe for continued occupancy, warning of risks to the public and staff if it remained open.
This situation stems from a dispute over renaming the center. President Trump hosted the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors. Shortly after, the center's board of trustees announced a vote to add Trump's name to the building. However, the law establishing the center as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy expressly forbids the board from renaming it or adding another person's name to the exterior. A judge subsequently ordered the removal of Trump's name from the building earlier this year.
The honorees for the 2026 Kennedy Center Honors will be announced at a later date. The venue change and the ongoing renovations underscore the complex challenges currently facing the iconic performing arts institution.