Report: Kennedy Center Close to Bankruptcy
Sandra Rhodes · Sep 14, 2026 · 2 min read
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’s problems are ongoing as a report said the center is on the brink of bankruptcy and could close its main building.
The Washington Post reported Sunday the center could close its main building as early as Tuesday as financial and structural problems continue to grow.
Center leaders have cautioned the institution could be unable to make payroll or pay routine maintenance bills "within a matter of weeks," the Post reported.
Officials describe the situation as an imminent "certain fiscal collapse."
The warnings are part of a 57-page packet prepared for a special meeting Tuesday of the center's board of trustees, chaired by President Donald Trump.
The board is expected to consider two resolutions addressing the center's financial problems and the deteriorating condition of its building.
One would ask for Trump's help raising funds to keep the center solvent, while the other would immediately close the main building for renovations.
Center officials argue publicly recognizing Trump's role in the institution's restoration could help secure fundraising.
Trump has offered to raise the money needed to keep the center out of bankruptcy during renovations, the Post reported.