The Kennedy Center Honors will be held at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, DC, this year rather than at the Kennedy Center itself.
The ceremony is scheduled for 7 December, with the venue change coming while the Kennedy Center’s main building remains closed for safety assessments described by the Trump administration.
The move follows continuing legal and political disputes over the performing arts institution. Congress appropriated more than $250 million last year for renovations to the facility.
President Donald Trump has announced a major refurbishment expected to take about two years and has continued to seek the addition of his name to the building’s facade and an outdoor plaza. The president and the Kennedy Center board, whose members were selected by Mr Trump, have suggested the work may not go ahead if courts reject the naming proposal.
The annual Kennedy Center Honors gala recognises lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Capital One Arena is home to the Washington Capitals ice hockey team and the Washington Wizards basketball team.
The 2025 honourees included actor Sylvester Stallone and country music artist George Strait.
CBS broadcast the ceremony every year from 1978 to 2025, but that partnership ended after last year’s programme. The Kennedy Center is expected to announce the broadcaster for the 2026 event later this autumn.
