Madonna Will Open the 2026 MTV VMAs

Madonna will open the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, returning to the show as a performer for the first time in 23 years. The appearance is set for Sunday, September 27, and gives this year’s ceremony an opening act closely tied to the VMAs’ own history.

A return to a defining awards-show stage

Her most recent VMA performance came in 2003, when she appeared with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott in one of the ceremony’s most discussed opening numbers. The new booking will also make this Madonna’s fifth time opening the telecast, moving her ahead of Rihanna for the most opening performances in the show’s history.

Madonna’s relationship with the VMAs reaches back to the first ceremony in 1984, when her performance of “Like a Virgin” became an early signature moment for both the artist and the fledgling awards show. She later became the first woman to receive the Video Vanguard Award in 1986 and has collected 19 competitive VMA wins across her career.

Eleven nominations and a live Los Angeles broadcast

The singer enters the 2026 event as its most-nominated artist, with 11 nods. The field includes major categories such as artist of the year and video of the year, giving her comeback performance an added competitive dimension. It is also the third year in which she has led the ceremony’s nominations.

This year’s VMAs will be held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, bringing the show back to the West Coast for the first time in nine years. Snoop Dogg is scheduled to host, while additional performers and presenters are expected to be announced closer to the broadcast.

The ceremony will air live on CBS and MTV, with streaming available through the premium tier of Paramount+ in the United States. MTV has not disclosed what Madonna will perform, leaving the opening number as one of the night’s biggest unanswered questions.