Kennedy Center Honors Moves to Capital One Arena as Historic Arts Center Remains Closed
The ceremony leaves its longtime home for the first time as a new broadcast partner has yet to be announced The post Kennedy Center Honors Moves to Capital One Arena as Historic Arts Center Remains Closed appeared first on TheWrap .
The 49th annual Kennedy Center Honors will be held at Washington, D.C.'s Capital One Arena this December, marking the first time the prestigious event has taken place outside the Kennedy Center since its inception nearly five decades ago. The change in location coincides with the closure of the Kennedy Center's main building, which is now under review due to structural deterioration concerns.
CBS, the longstanding broadcast partner of the Honors, has yet to secure a new deal. The ceremony, which traditionally aired on CBS since 1978, drew a record low of 3.01 million viewers in 2025, a decline from previous years. Last year's event, hosted by President Donald Trump, also streamed on Paramount+.
This year, the honorees have not been announced. The venue shift provides the Honors with a significantly larger space, with Capital One Arena capable of seating approximately 20,000 people, compared to the Kennedy Center Opera House's capacity of 2,347.
The center's future remains uncertain as a legal battle over the name continues. A federal judge ruled that only Congress could rename the facility, ordering the removal of Trump's name from its facade and other materials. Congress has yet to act on the matter. The renaming dispute underscores the challenges facing the historic arts center.
Written by urgent.news from TheWrap's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
