Kennedy Center Honors to be held off-site for the first time in the ceremony’s history
NBC News • • entertainment
Key Points:
- For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will be held outside the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts due to the main building's closure.
- The event, scheduled for December 7, will take place at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C., which has a much larger seating capacity than the traditional venue.
- The Kennedy Center's main theaters have been closed since September 15 after a partial ceiling collapse prompted safety concerns and a board decision to close the building for renovations.
- Renovation plans are currently stalled amid legal disputes and opposition from former President Donald Trump, who has linked the renovations to adding his name to the center, a move blocked by federal courts.
- The center has not yet announced this year’s honorees, and the White House declined to comment on the venue change.
