“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will see a decrease in musical performances on the late night show in 2026, according to multiple media reports.
Per recent reports, the late night program helmed by Jimmy Kimmel will cut back on its weekly musical acts, with the show now featuring around two artists a week instead of the current three. Though, it’s said the show’s two-act-a-week rule isn’t a hard one, just the norm moving forward.
In fact, the show will feature three musical acts this week, including Molly Tuttle, Debbie Gibson (who is joining house band The Cletones) and HUNTR/X from “KPop Demon Hunters,” which stars EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami.
It’s unclear why this decision has been made, as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” isn’t set to reduce its runtime. Reps for ABC did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Musical acts on late night have been in the decline for the last several years. Back in April, Consequence reported that the total number of bookings in late night barely made it over the 200 mark. This was a noticeable difference from the 800 annual bookings that occurred between 2011 and 2013.
This update comes after a tumultuous year for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” which saw the show pre-empted after Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer prompted a public denouncement from FCC chairman Brendan Carr. Kimmel was reinstated by ABC’s parent company Disney less than a week later.
Still, in the wake of the drama, Trump has repeatedly criticized Kimmel and, back in November, asked ABC to “get the bum off the air!”
Yet, in December, Kimmel confirmed that his contract had been extended through May 2027.
“Our show has been renewed until May of 2027 or until the world ends, whichever comes first,” the late night host noted at the time. “But I thought about it. I gave it a lot of thought and decided I would like to spend less time with my family. And so, to our audience here and at home I’m honored and humbled to be a part of your routine — whether it’s in bed at night or during your morning toilet time. It means a lot to me to have your attention and to work with this great group of people for another year.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
