The woman responsible for two of the most indelible moments in MTV Video Music Awards history returned with her usual grandiose flair.
Madonna opened the 2026 VMAs by proclaiming, “It’s mother…” before bouncing into an eight-minute performance stocked with guest appearances.
From a blur of smoke, lasers and writhing bodies, Madonna emerged atop a piano being played by Sabrina Carpenter, her partner in hit “Bring Your Love.”
The pair scampered through the song – Madonna flinging her long blond hair, Carpenter in a signature glitter-shorts outfit – before Madonna unveiled her own red ensemble as she writhed on a table that encircled a gospel choir.
But the guest shots weren’t over.
Charlie XCX, tossing a cigarette as she strode out in sunglasses and fishnets, sashayed with Madonna through a “Danceteria” filled with nods to Madonna’s history. From the bathroom hand dryer (hi, “Desperately Seeking Susan”) to a platform of dancers dressed as Madonna through her numerous incarnations, the nods were obvious and fun, particularly the snippet of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” – a fitting wink to Madonna’s mirror ball ode to New York City.
In July, Madonna, 68, released “Confessions II,” the much-anticipated sequel to her 2005 hit album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
Madonna’s performance on the Sept. 27 show was her first live VMAs performance in 23 years – the last coming in 2003 with her much-ballyhooed kiss with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during a mashup of “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood.”
But Madonna’s connection to VMAs fame stretches back to her “Like a Virgin” spectacle during the inaugural show in 1984 with a provocative, wedding dress-clad performance etched in pop culture history.
Since then, the iconic singer has been tied to the VMAs numerous times, including being christened as the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award in 1986.
Her career connections to the show also include her high-stepping opening performance of “Express Yourself” in 1989; an elaborate, 18th-century-inspired production of “Vogue” in 1990; and her 1993 top hat-and-tails display motivated by Marlene Dietrich’s 1930 film “Morocco” for “Bye Bye Baby.”
Madonna is also the leading nominee of the 2026 VMAs with a career-high 11 nods, including video of the year (“Confessions II − The Film”), artist of the year and song of the year (“Bring Your Love,” with Sabrina Carpenter). This is the third time she’s led the nominated field, having landed nine in 1990 for “Vogue” and in 1998 for “Ray of Light” and “Frozen.”