Published: September 17, 2026 · 1:32 AM EDT
The 11-time nominee returns to the VMA stage Sept. 27 for her first performance since the 2003 opening with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera
Madonna will open the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27, marking her first live performance at the ceremony in 23 years.
The show will air live from Los Angeles from 7:30–9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, simulcast on MTV and stream on Paramount+ Premium in the United States. Snoop Dogg will host the ceremony.
Madonna last performed at the VMAs in 2003, when she opened the show alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in a performance that combined “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood.”
Her return comes as the most nominated artist at the 2026 ceremony. Madonna leads the field with a career-high 11 nominations, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations.
Read: Madonna Leads 2026 MTV VMAs With 11 Nominations, Taylor Swift Follows With 9
The 2026 nominations mark the third time Madonna has led the VMAs field. She previously received nine nominations in 1990 for “Vogue” and nine in 1998 across “Ray of Light” and “Frozen.” She has accumulated 19 competitive VMA wins during her career.
Madonna enters this year’s ceremony following the release of Confessions II through Warner Records. CBS and MTV have not yet announced which song or songs she will perform during the opening segment.
Watch Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera’s 2003 MTV VMA performance below:
There is an official Warner/Madonna upload of the 2003 “Like a Virgin / Hollywood” performance available through Madonna’s official YouTube catalog (Audio).
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy of Warner Records
