Kennedy Center renovation tour

NPR | By Elizabeth Blair

Published April 22, 2026 at 4:38 PM EDT

President Trump announced the Kennedy Center will close for two years beginning July 4th. He says the building is in bad shape and needs repairs. Members of congress and two lawsuits contend the real reason is mismanagement, artist cancellations and declining ticket sales.

Elizabeth Blair

Elizabeth Blair is a Peabody Award-winning senior producer/reporter on the Arts Desk of NPR News.

See stories by Elizabeth Blair

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

The Commonwealth

Shannon Gilday murder trial almost before jury after 4 years

Curtis Tate

The trial is set to begin on May 1 in Shelbyville, moved from Madison County because of the publicity surrounding the case for the past four years.
Virginia approved a plan to draw four more seats that lean heavily for Democrats

Jahd Khalil

Virginia voters approved mid-decade redistricting that aims to help Democrats win 10 of the state's 11 seats in Congress. Republicans are challenging the map, but Democrats are calling it a victory.
DOJ accuses Southern Poverty Law Center of using donations to pay secret informants

Debbie Elliott

The Justice Department has accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of money laundering and other crimes. The DOJ says the Alabama-based civil rights organization paid sources to stoke racial hatred.
A former South Korean spy confronts the hidden war that never ended

Anthony Kuhn

More than 70 years after the Korean War, South Korea is still confronting the legacy of a secret conflict waged in the shadows.
Is political gerrymandering the future of U.S. politics? Virginia's governor weighs in

Tyler Bartlam, Juana Summers, Tinbete Ermyas, Matt Ozug

NPR's Juana Summers speaks to Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger about a measure she supported — that voters approved Tuesday — to redraw the state's congressional maps to favor Democrats.