Washington’s Capital One Arena will host this year’s Kennedy Center Honors rather than its traditional riverfront venue, which remains embroiled in a legal battle over adding President Donald Trump's name to the building.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center confirmed Friday that the 49th annual ceremony will take place at the downtown arena. Few additional details were available, and no explanation for the change was given.
The center’s board voted last month to shut the iconic performing arts venue along the Potomac River after a federal judge stopped the institution from putting Trump's name back on the building.
In social media posts, Trump insisted the venue required closure for critical safety repairs. However, he stated those updates would only occur if the board could proceed with plans to attach his name to the site.
A federal judge has twice ruled that such action requires congressional approval, despite lawmakers allocating $257 million for structural repairs.
The president hosted the 2025 awards, where honorees included Sylvester Stallone and George Strait. He stated at the time that he planned to rename the complex the "Trump Kennedy Center," and workers soon began adding his name to the exterior.
The board of trustees, appointed by Trump, voted unanimously for the modification, which has drawn legal challenges ever since.
Congress designated the performing arts facility as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy in 1964, one year after his assassination.
Federal law explicitly forbids the board of trustees from converting the center into a tribute for anyone else or affixing another individual’s name onto the building's exterior.
Established in 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors recognize individuals for lifetime contributions to American culture via the performing arts. The spokesperson noted that the 2026 honorees will be revealed at a later date, with the event scheduled to take place on December 7.
