Madonna is heading back to the MTV Video Music Awards stage, and she is not easing into her return.
The pop icon will open the 2026 VMAs on Sunday, Sept. 27, marking her first live performance at the awards show in 23 years. She last performed at the ceremony in 2003, when she joined Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera for an opening number that instantly became part of pop culture history.
Details about what Madonna plans to perform this year have not yet been revealed, but she has plenty of new music to choose from. Her latest album, Confessions II, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 following its release in July.
The singer also enters the night as the most-nominated artist of the year with 11 nods. She is up for video of the year for “Confessions II — The Film,” artist of the year and song of the year for “Bring Your Love,” among other categories.
The album also brought her back to Warner Records for the first time since 2008’s Hard Candy. The reunion placed Confessions II alongside landmark releases from the label, including Like a Prayer, Ray of Light, and the original Confessions on a Dance Floor.
A VMA Homecoming Decades in the Making
Few artists are as closely tied to VMA history as Madonna. Her performance of “Like a Virgin” at the inaugural ceremony in 1984 remains one of the show’s defining moments. Two years later, she became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award.
She continued raising the bar with performances of “Express Yourself” in 1989, “Vogue” in 1990 and “Bye Bye Baby” in 1993. Throughout her career, Madonna has earned 19 VMA wins and helped shape the provocative, theatrical pop performances the ceremony is still known for today.
Snoop Dogg will host the 2026 VMAs live from Los Angeles. The ceremony airs Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. PT on CBS and MTV. It will also stream live for Paramount+ Premium subscribers in the U.S. and become available globally the following day on Paramount+ and MTV.
