Madonna to open the MTV VMAs for the first time in 23 years

The last time Madonna opened the VMAs was back in 2003, when she delivered one of the most talked-about moments in the show’s history — performing Like A Virgin and Hollywood alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, capped off by that infamous on-stage kiss. Two decades on, and the pop icon is once again the marquee name at MTV’s biggest night, this time celebrating a body of work rooted squarely in club culture.

Confessions II, which Madonna unveiled in April as her official return to the dancefloor, has led her to a total nomination haul that includes Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. It marks the third time in her career that she has led the VMA nominations, having previously topped the list with nine nods in 1998 for Ray of Light and Frozen, and nine again in 1990 for Vogue.

The ’80s-nightlife-inspired record has also fed a run of headline moments across 2026, from the Peggy Gou remix of ‘I Feel So Free’ to her surprise WorldPride Amsterdam duet with Kylie Minogue at Club Confessions. Along the way, she paid tribute to longtime collaborator William Orbit following his passing — the producer whose fingerprints defined the Ray of Light era that first turned her VMA sweep of 1998.

For long-time Madonna watchers, the VMA opening slot has always been where she rewrites the script. She headlined the very first VMAs in 1984, writhing on the floor in the now-iconic BOY TOY belt for Like A Virgin. In 1990 she brought Vogue to life in a lavish 18th-century French court staging. In 2003, she flipped the moment on its head with Britney and Christina. Whatever 2026 brings, the next Madonna VMAs entrance is already the third act of a relationship that has helped define what the show even is.

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards air Sunday, September 27 on CBS at 7:30 PM EST.