Madonna will open the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on 27 September 2026, marking her first live performance at the ceremony in 23 years.
The Queen of Pop will return to the VMAs stage for the first time since 2003, when she performed alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in one of the ceremony’s most remembered moments. Madonna enters this year’s awards as the most-nominated artist, with 11 nominations for her latest album, Confessions II.
Madonna returns to the VMAs
Madonna has a long history with the MTV Video Music Awards, beginning with the inaugural ceremony in 1984, where she performed Like a Virgin.
She has accumulated 19 competitive VMA wins during her career and has previously led the nominations in 1990 and 1998. Her 11 nominations in 2026 mark another record-setting year at the ceremony.
Her 2026 nominations include Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. She is also nominated in several of the ceremony’s professional categories for Confessions II – The Film.
What madonna will perform at the 2026 VMAs
Details of Madonna’s full performance set have not yet been announced, but her return comes following the release of Confessions II, which topped the US Billboard 200.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in July, giving Madonna her 10th chart-topping album on the US chart.
Madonna celebrated the album’s reception on Instagram after its chart success.
“Words cannot express how grateful and surprised I am by the incredible reception Confessions on a Dance Floor has received!!
“Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this and who has helped make this dream come true. Especially my Fans. The Goodwill and positivity has been incredible. I’m still pinching myself.
“I can’t believe it’s #1 all around the world.My dream was to make people dance this summer!! To bring people JOY! Dreams do come true. Thanks and love!”
Madonna had previously said she was not expecting major chart success from the project, drawing a comparison with the success of her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor.
Speaking to Graham Norton in a BBC special that aired in the UK in June, she said:
“I don’t have any expectations. I have been doing this for a long time. You know, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
“[With the first Confessions] it was mind-blowing as we didn’t have any idea how brilliant it was. No, I am just kidding. But it was a huge success. It took me by surprise.
“I’m excited for people to hear the whole album because it’s a whole story. It’s a whole journey.”
When are the 2026 MTV VMAs?
The 2026 MTV VMAs will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday 27 September 2026, with Snoop Dogg hosting the ceremony.
The show will air live on CBS and MTV from 7:30pm ET, with streaming available through Paramount+ in the US. The ceremony is returning to the West Coast for the first time since 2017.
