The Latest Breaking News from Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center is warning staff that a planned two-year renovation shutdown will lead to job cuts and “skeletal teams.”

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell outlined to workers how they will likely be impacted by construction, which was described as ‘the total renovation’

Trump announced the two-year shutdown of the storied arts institution over the weekend

Trump announces two-year closure of Kennedy Center, citing construction needs – key US politics stories from 1 February 2026

President Donald Trump says he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction

A slew of artists have canceled or relocated performances at the national performing arts center to protest takeover

Kevin Couch’s abrupt resignation as senior vice president of artistic programming at the Kennedy Center comes amid recent turmoil and artist cancellations, following a leadership overhaul initiated by Donald Trump.

It was not immediately clear why the newly appointed head of artistic programming resigned so quickly

TOI correspondent from Washington: Celebrated American composer and Indophile Philip Glass has withdrawn the world premiere of his Symphony No 15, “Lincoln,” from the MAGA-infused Kennedy Center in Washington DC — the decision redolent of nonviolent Gandhian protest embodied in his landmark opera Satyagraha.