Kennedy Center Honors move to Capital One Arena amid Trump naming dispute
The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will take place on Dec. 7, 2026 at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C., after the board moved the event from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts amid a dispute over adding former President Donald Trump’s name to the building.
This relocation marks the first time the annual gala has left the Kennedy Center’s 2,347‑seat Opera House, a venue that has hosted the honors since 1978 except for a pandemic‑related postponement in 2020. Moving the ceremony to the arena, which can seat roughly 20,000 for concerts, ensures the tradition can continue while the center remains closed for renovations and legal challenges.
Board members halted public access to the Kennedy Center on Sept. 15 after a federal judge ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the exterior, citing the 1964 law that designates the building as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and forbids naming it after another individual. Congress has earmarked $257 million for the center’s renovation, but the naming fight has delayed any construction.
In response, Trump warned on Truth Social that the renovation cannot begin until the D.C. Circuit rules on the board’s name‑change decision, and he threatened to withhold millions in repair funding unless his name is restored. The legal battle has kept the Kennedy Center closed while safety concerns—including a partial ceiling collapse in the Grand Foyer—prompted a temporary shutdown for repairs.
The controversy also touched the ceremony’s recent history. Trump attended the 2025 Honors, the first time a president had been present at the event, and reportedly influenced the selection of honorees, favoring artists he deemed less “woke.” That year’s recipients included country legend George Strait, disco icon Gloria Gaynor, Broadway star Michael Crawford, actor‑filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, and rock band Kiss.
Despite the turmoil, a Kennedy Center spokesperson described Capital One Arena as “one of the nation’s premier live‑entertainment venues” and emphasized that the move does not alter the ceremony’s purpose of recognizing artists who have shaped American culture. The center has said it will announce the 2026 honorees at a later date.
By shifting to a larger, modern arena, the Kennedy Center Honors can proceed without further delay while the historic building remains entangled in legal and political disputes, allowing the performing‑arts community to celebrate its luminaries in a safe, high‑capacity setting.
