Piece of the Kennedy Center's ceiling falls amid heavy rain in DC area

A piece of the Kennedy Center's ceiling fell during heavy rainfall in the Washington D.C. area Friday night, according to the facility's statement. No one was injured, but debris and dust spread across the red carpet in the grand foyer where visitors typically walk to performances. The main building was closed immediately after the collapse, and the grand foyer leading to the Opera House, Concert Hall and Eisenhower Theater will remain off-limits to all but essential personnel throughout the weekend.

The rest of the building will remain open. The incident occurred as a legal battle unfolds over the Kennedy Center board's decision to close the institution for renovations and to add President Donald Trump's name to its facade. Only a few performances are scheduled at the Kennedy Center, mainly at the nearby REACH facility. Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi described the ceiling failure as another example of the facility's urgent need for renovation, blaming decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by previous leadership.

The board has voted to close the center for a two-year renovation, but the plan faces potential legal challenges, with a federal judge currently deciding whether to block the addition of Trump's name to the facade, as he is credited with restoring and renovating the facility originally opened in 1971.