Skip to main content

Kennedy Center will be lit with red, white and blue ‘permanently’

The Kennedy Center’s exterior lighting will now “permanently feature the colors of red, white and blue,” according to a statement released Tuesday.

“The lights are a beautiful reminder of the American spirit,” said Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center, in a statement.

Related stories

The lights are usually plain white, but are sometimes changed to mark special events, such as the rainbow lights that shine during the week leading up to the annual Kennedy Center Honors. At times, the center has changed its colors in support of certain causes: Blue and yellow in support of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion, and purple and amber to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

“The red, white, and blue colors are a powerful symbol of unity and our nation’s commitment to bringing people together,” Daravi wrote. “What better place for that than at the Kennedy Center, America’s institution for the arts?”

This is one of several changes enacted after President Donald Trump appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center board. In March, Trump said he plans to make more.

Click here to watch a video of the lights in action.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

National Museum of the American Latino to be housed in historic Smithsonian building

The Smithsonian Institution has decided to put the National Museum of the American Latino into an existing, historic building, rather than constructing a new one. The Smithsonian Board of Regents on Monday designated the Arts and Industries Building, a 145-year-old redbrick Victorian structure located between the Smithsonian Castle and the Hirshhorn Museum, as the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino, which Congress authorized in 2020. In 2022, the Smithsonian narrowed its survey for permanent locations for the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum to four locations near the National Mall on land owned by the National Park Service. The Arts and Industries Building, located at 900 Jefferson St. SW, was one of the four sites. New construction on National Park Service land would require congressional approval. However, since the Smithsonian already owns the Arts and Industries Building, the institution can place the National Museum of the American Latino in the existing building without additional legislation.
Read Next Story