The future of musical performances on the long-running late night program is uncertain.

Jimmy Kimmel Live makes big cut to talk show

The future of musical performances on the long-running late night program is uncertain.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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January 6, 2026 6:05 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Kimmel on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'. Credit:

Disney/Randy Holmes

*Jimmy Kimmel Live* is going through changes.

The late-night TV mainstay is cutting down on how often it features musical guests, who are paid for their appearances. On Monday, *The Hollywood Reporter *claimed via "multiple sources familiar with the matter" that *Jimmy Kimmel Live *will decrease the number of musical guests from the usual five per week (though that number can vary), down to just two.

Today, *Variety *reported that the number is indeed decreasing, but not to a fixed two per week. Instead, the number will stay low but variable.

Christopher Cross performs with 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' house band Cleto and the Cletones in Nov. 2025.

Disney/Randy Holmes

* *did not hear back from representatives from *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, or from Disney, the parent company of *Kimmel *network ABC.

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December at *Jimmy Kimmel Live *saw sporadic musical performances. The week of Dec. 8-12, for instance, saw only Tuesday miss a musical guest. The following week, however, saw only two musical guests in total. Generally bookers Jim Pitt and Mac Burrus line up a musical guest per night on the program, making *Jimmy Kimmel Live* one of the last on late night to do so.****

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Pitt and Buruss spoke to the music news site *Consequence *last April about the general downward trend where music on late night is concerned.

"Music has been a priority at *Jimmy* *Kimmel* from day one," Burrus told the site. "He's always championed late night in its classic form, being a huge fan of Letterman."

Pitt noted, " I think Colbert is down to one a week, and Seth is not doing music anymore. Mac and I, because it's our department, feel very fortunate that Jimmy is such a supporter in the music space."

Indeed, *Late Night with Seth Meyers *cut its band, which was fronted by Meyers' *SNL *pal Fred Armisen, in June 2024. And with the cancellation of *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* on CBS, one more venue is scheduled to disappear for musicians with late-night aspirations. *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*, however, continues to feature regular musical guests.

The shake-up at *Kimmel *comes amid the program's brief suspension in September amid mounting antagonism from President Donald Trump, who noted that "Jimmy Kimmel is next" after gloating about Colbert's cancellation back in July.

This week's *Kimmel *slate features two musical guests, including EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami appearing as the fictional band HUNTR/X from *KPop Demon Hunters *next on Thursday's episode.**

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