The Kennedy Center could be closed for far longer than the seven-day period originally set out by the Trump administration, according to court filings.
The performing arts center has been the subject of plenty of controversy, with the president installing his own appointees to the venue’s board early in his administration and stamping his own name onto the building.
The main building has been closed since September 15, with the Trump administration claiming in a court filing that the closure was taking place so that emergency repairs can be carried out. Although the possibility of a longer closure was detailed in the filing, the document claimed that the closure should take seven days.
However, in another court filing, the venue’s executive director Matt Floca stated that the site could remain closed until at least September 30.
“Because the collection of information is ongoing and I remain concerned about the documented hazards and inability to provide safe egress at this time in light of those hazards, I will be extending the temporary closure for an additional week, until September 30, 2026, and will continue to reevaluate conditions and whether a closure remains necessary on a weekly basis,” Floca wrote in a declaration to the court on Wednesday.
The filing states that assessments uncovered deteriorating ceilings inside the building, concerns over lightning and the venue’s rigging system, water reaching an electrical equipment area and corroded exterior panels.
On the day of the venue’s closure, Trump took to Truth Social and bemoaned the alleged state of the Kennedy Center.
“The Kennedy Center is in a virtual state of collapse, and has been for many years,” the president claimed. “A large piece of concrete and steel just dropped down, in a thud, from the ceiling of a heavily trafficked main hallway.
Trump added, “If the Building were open, innocent people would have been killed.”
Tensions surrounding renovations to the building escalated on Friday when hundreds of people formed a human chain around the venue as part of the Hands Off the Arts protest.
However, the controversy dates back to much earlier in the second Trump presidency, with Trump imposing his own name onto the building after replacing several members of the center’s board.
In May 2026, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress can change the center’s name and blocked plans for a two-year closure of the site for renovations.
Cooper blocked a second attempt to impose the president’s name on the center in September 2026, noting days later that the Trump administration must give at least 30 days’ notice before making any physical changes to the center or moving to demolish the building.
In documents obtained by The Washington Post earlier this month, officials at the center claimed that keeping Trump's name on the building may be the only way to ensure that he continues to fund renovations and prevent “certain fiscal collapse.”
Speaking to reporters last week, Trump also hinted that the center could be demolished if his administration does not receive recognition at the center.
“I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition,” he said. “Because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down.”
Additional reporting by Alex Woodward
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