Kennedy Center Cancels Annual Christmas Eve Jazz Concert Amid Trump Branding Controversy
The Kennedy Center’s long-running Christmas Eve Jazz Jam was canceled this year following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the Washington, D.C., performing arts complex, a decision that has sparked widespread backlash from artists and organizers.
The free concert, traditionally held on Dec. 24 for more than two decades, was led since 2006 by jazz musician Chuck Redd, who said he chose to cancel the event after discovering the venue’s rebranding online and later in person.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd told The Associated Press. The concert listing on the Kennedy Center’s website was subsequently marked “Canceled,” without further explanation.
The Christmas Eve Jazz Jam has been a staple of the Kennedy Center’s holiday programming, offering an accessible, community-focused celebration of jazz and seasonal music. Its cancellation marks the latest in a growing list of performances affected since Trump named himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a move that has raised legal and ethical questions regarding governance at the federally supported cultural institution.
According to multiple reports, at least 26 scheduled performances have been canceled since the leadership change, with 15 withdrawn by artists themselves. Among them was actor and producer Issa Rae, who canceled a Valentine’s Day appearance, citing concerns about “an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds.”
Philadelphia rock band Low Cut Connie also pulled a March performance, while Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Jeffrey Seller canceled a planned 2026 run of Hamilton, stating they would not present the show while the venue operates under its current branding.
“The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit,” Miranda and Seller said in a joint statement. “We’re not going to be part of it.”
Additional cancellations include a concert by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, as well as performances connected to the LGBTQ+ musical Finn, which was reportedly removed from the Center’s programming slate earlier this year. In protest, indie rock band Guster invited members of ’s cast onstage during their own Kennedy Center appearance in March.
The controversy has also coincided with declining viewership for the Center’s televised events. The most recent Kennedy Center Honors broadcast, featuring Kiss, Sylvester Stallone, and Gloria Gaynor, reportedly drew approximately 2.65 million viewers, the lowest audience in the program’s history, down from 4.1 million the previous year.
While Kennedy Center leadership has not issued a formal explanation for the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam cancellation, the decision reflects broader tensions surrounding the institution’s direction and identity.
