Kennedy Center to Seek $1 Million After Musician Cancels Christmas Eve Performance Over Name Change

The president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced plans to seek $1 million in damages from a musician who abruptly canceled a long-running Christmas Eve performance in protest of the venue’s recent name change.

The dispute centers on the cancellation of an annual holiday jazz concert that had been held at the Kennedy Center for nearly two decades. The musician, a veteran jazz drummer and vibraphonist, withdrew from the performance after learning that the iconic arts institution had officially been renamed to include former President Donald Trump’s name.

In a strongly worded letter, Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell accused the musician of staging a politically motivated act that caused significant financial and reputational harm to the nonprofit organization. Grenell said the last-minute cancellation disrupted programming, affected ticket holders, and undermined the center’s holiday season operations.

The musician explained that the decision to cancel came shortly after seeing the updated name displayed both online and on the building itself. While acknowledging the concert’s importance to audiences and student performers, he said he could not continue under the newly changed name, describing the decision as difficult but necessary.

Grenell rejected that explanation, arguing that canceling the performance specifically because of the renaming constituted political intolerance rather than principled protest. He further claimed the cancellation caused measurable losses and announced his intent to pursue damages totaling $1 million.

The controversy follows the December 2025 decision to rename the Kennedy Center to also honor former President Trump — a move that has triggered widespread political debate, legal challenges, and criticism from artists, lawmakers, and members of the Kennedy family. The center was originally established by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

Opponents of the name change argue it violates federal law, which designates the center as a memorial to Kennedy and requires congressional approval for any alterations. Lawsuits have been filed challenging the legality of the renaming, and the controversy has led other performers to cancel or reconsider appearances at the venue.

As of now, no legal filing has been made public regarding the damages claim, and the musician has not issued further statements in response. The dispute highlights growing tensions over the intersection of politics, public institutions, and artistic expression, particularly when long-standing cultural traditions collide with ideological disagreements.