Kennedy Center’s Christmas Eve Jazz Show Canceled After Trump Name Added to Building

An annual Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., a holiday tradition that has drawn musicians and audiences for more than two decades, was canceled this year after its long‑time host withdrew in response to a controversial decision affecting the institution’s identity. Musician Chuck Redd, who had led the performance for many years, called off the event shortly before it was to take place, saying he could not in good conscience participate after the venue’s board announced that the president’s name would be added to the facility’s signage.

The cancellation highlights how shifts in leadership and governance at one of the nation’s premier performing arts institutions have reverberated through its traditions and programming. The Kennedy Center, formally known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has long been a symbol of national cultural life, hosting performances and ceremonies that range from classical music to jazz, and from theater to televised celebrations of artistic achievement. The annual Christmas Eve jazz concert had become a fixture of that calendar, offering both local audiences and visitors a festive musical occasion during the holiday season.

This year, however, the event’s cancellation came against the backdrop of a broader and more contentious transformation at the center. Earlier in December, its board of trustees — now filled with loyalists aligned with President Trump — voted to add the president’s name to the institution’s formal title, a move that has stirred criticism from lawmakers, legal scholars, and the Kennedy family. The board defended the decision as part of an effort to revitalize the center’s mission, even as opponents questioned its legality and propriety.

The musician scheduled to host this year’s Christmas Eve jazz concert said he opted to cancel rather than perform at a venue now bearing the president’s name. Chuck Redd, a respected drummer and vibraphone player who has led the holiday “Jazz Jams” at the center for years, described his decision as rooted in principle, reflecting discomfort with the rebranding and its implications for the venue’s cultural heritage. His announcement came just days after the name change was publicized, leaving little time for organizers to pivot toward an alternative arrangement.

The controversy touches on legal as well as cultural questions. The Kennedy Center was established by federal law as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963, and that statute includes language governing its name and purpose. Critics of the recent board’s actions assert that renaming the center without congressional approval may violate that law, sparking legal challenges and heightened scrutiny from lawmakers who argued the institution’s governing process lacked transparency.

Supporters of the board’s decision have portrayed it as an update to the institution’s identity and a reflection of new leadership. They argue that broadening the center’s branding can support fundraising and reposition its role in national cultural life. But opponents — including family members of Kennedy and other public figures — have decried the decision as politicization of an iconic cultural institution, arguing that it undermines its original mission and the bipartisan support that sustained it for decades.

The cancellation of the Christmas Eve jazz concert carries symbolic weight because it juxtaposes what had been a beloved holiday tradition against the evolving landscape of cultural governance. For many artists and patrons, the festival performance represented an uncontroversial celebration of music and community. Its absence this year, tied so directly to institutional changes, underscores how broader political and administrative shifts can ripple outward into realms of public life that once seemed insulated from partisan contention.

Since the retooling of the board earlier in 2025, a number of artists and productions have avoided engagements at the Kennedy Center or been publicly critical of the new direction. Some performers have canceled scheduled appearances, citing discomfort with the center’s leadership or its direction under a chairman appointed by the president. Others have expressed concern privately about how the institution’s role as a national cultural center might be reshaped under new leadership.

At the same time, a portion of Kennedy Center programming continues, and officials appointed under the new regime point to sold‑out events honoring military families and successful fundraising galas as evidence of continued community engagement. These events, while not without their own layers of public attention, demonstrate that the center’s calendar still reflects diverse forms of performance and celebration even amid controversy.

The canceled jazz concert is likely to become part of an ongoing conversation about the relationship between cultural institutions and political influence. In recent years, debates over funding, governance, and artistic programming have animated discussions from museum boards to opera houses, with questions about independence and public mission at the center of many disputes. The developments at the Kennedy Center amplify those discussions at a high-profile moment, as the nation observes holiday traditions and assesses how they are preserved — or disrupted — in changing times.

For audiences accustomed to gathering at the Kennedy Center at year’s end, this year’s absence of the longstanding jazz performance is a reminder that cultural life is shaped not only by artists and audiences but also by the structures and decisions that govern institutions. As debates continue about the name change and its broader implications, observers of the arts and public life alike will be watching how the Kennedy Center navigates its traditions, public trust, and role in American cultural expression going forward.