A portion of the ceiling in the grand foyer of the Kennedy Center collapsed on Friday night, coinciding with heavy rainfall in the Washington, D.C. area. According to a statement from the institution, no injuries were reported, although debris and dust covered the red carpet typically used by patrons heading to performances.
An internal email reviewed by ABC News confirmed that the main building was immediately shuttered following the incident. The grand foyer, which provides access to the Opera House, Concert Hall, and Eisenhower Theater, will remain restricted from all visits and non-essential access throughout the weekend. Other areas of the facility will remain open.
The structural failure comes amid a contentious legal battle regarding the Kennedy Center board’s proposal to close the venue for renovations and rename it after President Donald Trump. Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi characterized the collapse as further evidence of the “urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization,” attributing the ceiling failure to “decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership.”
The center’s board has voted to undertake a two-year renovation project, a plan expected to face challenges in federal court. A judge is currently considering whether to block the board’s effort to add Trump’s name to the facade, which would designate him as the individual who “restored and renovated” the institution. Only a limited number of performances are currently scheduled, mostly at the nearby REACH facility. The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 and was designated as a living memorial following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
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