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Kennedy Center Honors Move to Arena Amid Renovation Dispute
Confirmed
In Short: The Kennedy Center Honors, established in 1978, will move to the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C., for the 49th annual event on December 7, 2026, due to ongoing renovations at the Kennedy Center.
The Kennedy Center, which closed on September 15, 2026, for a two-year renovation project, cited structural safety concerns and financial strain as reasons for the closure.
The Kennedy Center's board voted to shut down the iconic performing arts facility along the Potomac River after a federal judge blocked the institution from adding President Donald Trump's name to the building.
The Kennedy Center Honors have traditionally been held in the 2,347-capacity Opera House of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
CBS has broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors every year from 1978 through 2025, but the 2026 honorees and the broadcast partner have yet to be announced.
The Kennedy Center's board voted last month to close the facility, citing structural safety concerns and severe financial strain.
The Kennedy Center has not yet announced who will receive the 2026 honors.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is excited to host the event at Capital One Arena, a spokesperson said.
The Kennedy Center Honors recognize artists whose lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts have left a lasting mark on the country.
The move comes amid an uncertain period for the Kennedy Center following its abrupt closure last month.
The Kennedy Center continues to be plagued by a legal skirmish over Trump’s efforts to add his name to the building.
The 2026 honorees are set to be named at a later date, the center's spokesperson said.
What this adds
The Kennedy Center Honors will continue to be called the Kennedy Center Honors, with President Trump's name not appearing.
The Kennedy Center's board voted to shut down the facility last month, citing structural safety concerns and severe financial strain.
The Kennedy Center Honors have been held in the Kennedy Center's Opera House since 1978.
Background
The Kennedy Center Honors, established in 1978, will move to the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C., for the 49th annual event on December 7, 2026, due to ongoing renovations at the Kennedy Center.
What's confirmed
- The Kennedy Center will announce the 2026 honorees and the program’s broadcast partner at a later date, according to a Kennedy Center spokesperson.
- The 49th annual Kennedy Center Honors will be held on Dec.
- The center's board voted last month to close the iconic performing arts facility along the Potomac River after a federal judge blocked the institution from adding Trump's name to the building.
- RELATED: Kennedy Center faces closure amid financial crisis, report says President Donald Trump delivers opening remarks at the Kennedy Center Honors celebrating Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, members of KISS, and Michael Crawford at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Off Trump has stated in social media posts that the center requires closure for safety repairs, but maintained those repairs would only proceed if the board was permitted to add his name to the structure.
- During the event, Trump declared he would rename the facility the "Trump Kennedy Center," and workers began installing his name on the building shortly thereafter.
- “Monumental Sports & Entertainment is excited to have Capital One Arena serve as the host venue for this iconic Washington event,” a Monumental Sports & Entertainment spokesperson told 7News.
- The Kennedy Center's board voted in September to shut down the performing arts center, citing structural safety concerns and severe financial strain.
- READ | Kennedy Center to close immediately after board cites unsafe building and financial strain President Donald Trump, who serves as chairman of the Kennedy Center board, has argued that extensive renovations are needed at the landmark.
- The administration and center officials have said the building needs roughly $257 million in renovations and repairs.
- The Kennedy Center has not yet announced who will receive the 2026 honors.
- WASHINGTON (7News) — For the first time in its history, the Kennedy Center Honors will take place at a different venue as renovations continue at the performing arts center.
- 7, a Kennedy Center spokesperson confirmed to 7News Friday.
What's still developing
- He was photographed on Air Force One viewing a posterboard that appeared to say “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” (the last word was partially obscured by the cabin window frame).
- The Kennedy Center is already running late, compared to past years, in announcing the honorees.
- RELATED: Kennedy Center accused of delaying planned repairs The 49th annual awards ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 7, a Kennedy Center spokesperson announced Friday.
- President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to the Kennedy Center to attend the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press.
- Trump hosted the 2025 awards, where honorees included Sylvester Stallone and George Strait.
- But Trump has said that renovations on the center can only move forward if a court allows the name change, leaving the institution’s fate in limbo.
- After multiple artists cut ties with the center and canceled their performances, Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump adviser who was president of the center at the time, accused the artists of being “ far-left political activists.” Ratings for last year’s Kennedy Center Honors, which Trump hosted, dropped 26% from the previous year.
- The 49th annual awards are set to take place at Washington's downtown arena, a Kennedy Center spokesperson said Friday.