Three major late-night shows will be going off the air on May 21, 2026, as a show of respect for one of their own. As The Late Show with Stephen Colbert comes to an end, other late-night icons, including Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon, have decided to take the night off as well.

The decision comes as Colbert’s final episode airs, marking the end of a significant era in late-night TV. Jimmy Kimmel and The Tonight Show are set to run reruns in a nod to Colbert’s send-off, with Kimmel announcing that the repeat shows would air out of respect for the beloved host’s departure.

“I just felt it was the right thing to do,” Kimmel, 55, explained, noting that they didn’t want to overshadow Colbert’s moment. Late Night with Seth Meyers will also be on hiatus, as Meyers takes a break following Colbert’s last show.

This marks a huge shift in the late-night landscape as Stephen Colbert, one of the longest-running hosts, bids farewell to The Late Show after more than a decade. CBS made the stunning announcement in July 2025 that the show would be canceled in May 2026, citing financial factors rather than any issues with the show’s performance.

CBS executives described it as a “purely financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and reassured fans that the cancellation wasn’t a reflection of Colbert’s work or show’s content. While the news came as a shock, Colbert addressed the change on-air, telling his audience that the end of his show would mark the end of The Late Show franchise on CBS.

“I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away,” Colbert said, as the audience expressed their sadness with boos. The host, visibly moved, smiled and expressed gratitude for his time at CBS, calling it “the best job I could have ever hoped for.”

In his emotional farewell, Colbert reflected on his career and the people who supported him: “I am so grateful to the Tiffany network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course, I’m grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us every night in here, out there, all around the world.”

The 200 people who worked on The Late Show with him over the years also received heartfelt thanks. “We get to do this show for each other every day, all day. It’s a job I love, and I wish somebody else was getting it,” Colbert said, hinting at the end of an era.

As Colbert’s final episode approaches, it’s clear that his departure will leave a void in the late-night landscape. Fans and colleagues alike are taking the night of May 21 to pay tribute, with Kimmel, Fallon, and Meyers joining in the moment of reflection.

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