The Kennedy Center in Washington is facing possible closure within weeks amid warnings that the performing arts venue could run out of money and approach bankruptcy.
Documents reported by the Washington Post indicate that the centre’s leadership believes restoring President Donald Trump’s name to the building could help attract the funding needed to keep it operating and finance a major renovation.
Internal financial projections reportedly show revenue for the year could fall to about $124 million, against a budget of roughly $220 million. Even after planned spending cuts, the centre was forecasting a deficit of around $23 million.
The figures have emerged as the Trump-aligned board continues to press for a two-year closure of the landmark venue while more than $250 million of repairs and redevelopment work is carried out.
Kennedy Center closure faces legal challenge
A federal judge has already blocked an earlier attempt to shut the building, ruling that trustees had not properly assessed the consequences for performances, staff, audiences and the centre’s finances.
The board voted again in August to support a two-year closure and a new inscription linking the renovation to Mr Trump. The plans remain subject to legal challenge, with a further hearing scheduled for Tuesday, September 15.
The dispute follows a decision by the board to add Mr Trump’s name to the building, which was established as a living memorial to President John F Kennedy. A court later ordered that the president’s name be removed from the façade.
Recent financial reporting has suggested that ticket sales and fundraising deteriorated sharply after Mr Trump took control of the institution and, later, after his name was added. The centre has rejected responsibility for the decline, blaming what it described as financial mismanagement by previous leadership while arguing that Mr Trump’s fundraising ability is vital to its survival.
The centre has also cited concerns about the condition of the building. Earlier this month, part of a ceiling in a main hallway fell during stormy weather, although no one was injured.
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice-president for public relations, described the incident as “another example of the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President Trump has championed”.
The centre remains open for now, but its future is increasingly tied to the outcome of the court proceedings and whether its trustees can secure enough money to continue operating while pursuing the proposed redevelopment.
