{"id":2526671,"date":"2025-12-30T11:02:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T16:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kennedy-center-nye-shows-canceled-after-trump-renaming\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T11:04:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T16:04:03","slug":"kennedy-center-nye-shows-canceled-after-trump-renaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kennedy-center-nye-shows-canceled-after-trump-renaming\/","title":{"rendered":"Kennedy Center NYE shows canceled after Trump renaming"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkennedy-center-nye-shows-canceled-after-trump-renaming%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2526671&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Several performances at the Kennedy Center have been canceled after the institution was renamed to include former President Donald Trump&#8217;s name. The jazz ensemble The Cookers called off two New Year&#8217;s Eve shows, and drummer Billy Hart said the renaming &#8220;evidently&#8221; influenced the decision.Other artists pulling out include Chuck Redd, who abruptly canceled his long-running Christmas Eve &#8220;Jazz Jams&#8221; and now faces a lawsuit from the Trump-Kennedy Center; folk singer Kristy Lee, who cited concerns about political branding; and Doug Varone and Dancers, which scrapped two April performances. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-senator-raphael-warnock-under-investigation-for-voter-registration-misconduct-reports\/\" title=\"Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock Under Investigation For Voter Registration Misconduct: Reports\">board voted unanimously<\/a> on Dec. 18 to add Trump&#8217;s name, a change that Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell has defended, arguing the arts should be open to everyone and criticizing the cancellations as politically motivated. The name change and ensuing departures have intensified controversy around the center since Trump assumed control earlier this year.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Kennedy Center New Year&rsquo;s Eve concerts and more shows canceled over &lsquo;Trump renaming the Center after himself&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2453810\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>More artists are pulling out of performing at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kennedy-center\/\">Kennedy Center<\/a> after the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >prestigious cultural arts hub<\/a> was renamed to honor President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Cookers canceled two shows scheduled for New Year&rsquo;s Eve, the acclaimed jazz ensemble announced on Monday. Drummer Billy Hart told the <em>New York Times <\/em>that the historic arts center&rsquo;s recent name change &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/29\/arts\/kennedy-center-new-years-eve-concerts-canceled.html\">evidently<\/a>&rdquo; played a factor in the last-minute decision, which echoed musician Chuck Redd&rsquo;s move to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4361874\/kennedy-center-jazz-performance-canceled-trump-renaming-fight\/\">abruptly cancel<\/a> the Kennedy Center&rsquo;s annual Christmas Eve &ldquo;Jazz Jams&rdquo; he had overseen since 2006.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4362802\/joe-concha-says-people-can-say-merry-christmas-again-under-trump\/\">Joe Concha says people can say &lsquo;merry Christmas&rsquo; again under Trump&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3918618\/musicians-spoke-out-trump-administration-music-copyright-use\/\">Musicians who spoke out against the Trump administration for using their music<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4361959\/jimmy-kimmel-tyranny-booming-us-alternative-christmas-message\/\">Jimmy Kimmel says tyranny is &lsquo;booming&rsquo; in US during Britain&rsquo;s alternative Christmas message<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;This decision has come together very quickly, and we understand how frustrating last&#8209;minute changes can be,&rdquo; the group said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecookersmusic.com\/\">in a statement<\/a>. &ldquo;We remain committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Cookers&rsquo; announcement follows similar moves by several other artists to pull out of scheduled events.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from Redd, who is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4362695\/grenell-1-million-damages-musician-canceled-performance-kennedy-center\/\">facing a lawsuit<\/a>&nbsp;by the Trump-Kennedy Center for declining to perform on Christmas Eve, folk singer Kristy Lee announced she had <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kristyleemusic.com\/about-4\">canceled<\/a> a concert scheduled for mid-January, expressing concern about &ldquo;political branding&rdquo; and American history &ldquo;getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else&rsquo;s ego.&rdquo; And Doug Varone and Dancers said this week that it is canceling two performances in April. The New York dance company cited &ldquo;the latest act of Donald J. Trump renaming the Center after himself&rdquo; as the reason for its announcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The arts center has been shrouded in controversy since Trump took over the institution earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>The debate surrounding Trump&rsquo;s influence over the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts was renewed on Dec. 18, when the center&rsquo;s board of trustees &ldquo;unanimously&rdquo; voted to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3926399\/kennedy-center-changing-name-to-trump-kennedy-center-after-unanimous-vote\/\">add Trump&rsquo;s name<\/a> to the institution&rsquo;s title.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump-Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell has defended the name change in the face of cancellations, saying Monday that &ldquo;the arts are for everyone and the left is mad about it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New signage for the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4356419\/joyce-beatty-sues-trump-grenell-kennedy-center-name-change\/\"><strong>JOYCE BEATTY SUES TRUMP AND GRENELL OVER KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far-left leadership. Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned about booking far<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-appointees-decry-white-male-diplomacy\/\" title=\"Biden Appointees Decry \u2018White Male\u2019 Diplomacy\">-left political activists<\/a> rather than artists willing to perform for everyone regardless of their political beliefs,&rdquo; he said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/2005844962769064196?s=20\">in a statement<\/a> to X. &ldquo;Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artists cancel Kennedy Center shows after Trump rename<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2526672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25353745688678.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[50057,47615,69059,69706,69707],"class_list":["post-2526671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-kennedy-center","tag-new-years-eve","tag-performing-arts","tag-show-cancellations","tag-trump-renaming"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25353745688678.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2526671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2526671"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2526671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2526675,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2526671\/revisions\/2526675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2526672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2526671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2526671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2526671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}