The change of venue was reported by PBS NewsHour, The Guardian and Clarín. The decision concerns the 2026 edition of the awards and moves the event from the building that traditionally hosts it to a Washington arena.
If confirmed, the choice would mark the first time since 1978 that the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony has been held outside the Kennedy Center, since the awards began.
The available reports link the move to a dispute over the addition of Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center. The sources provided report the connection with the controversy without establishing its status or outcome.
Clarín attributes the change of venue to construction work and a legal dispute over the Kennedy Center’s name. This explanation is not confirmed in the same way by the other reports provided.
PBS NewsHour reported that, immediately after the announcement, no explanation had been provided for the change of venue. The wording refers to the information available at that time and does not establish whether subsequent clarifications were issued.
According to The Guardian, at the time its report was published, the list of 2026 honorees had not yet been announced.
The ceremony therefore remains scheduled for December 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington, in a location different from the traditional venue for the Kennedy Center Honors.