Madonna to Open MTV Video Music Awards With First Show Performance in 23 Years

Madonna will make her highly anticipated return to the MTV Video Music Awards stage, taking on the opening performance for the first time in 23 years. The last time she appeared at the ceremony was in 2003, when she shared the stage with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera for a medley of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood." That now-iconic segment, which culminated in a kiss between Madonna and Spears, is still widely cited as one of the most talked-about moments in VMA history and a defining artifact of early 2000s pop culture. Since its launch in 1984, the VMAs have built a reputation as a breeding ground for exactly this kind of viral, water-cooler moment, and expectations are high that Madonna's comeback will deliver comparable buzz.

Her return is anchored by "Confessions II," the sequel to her 2005 dance album "Confessions on a Dance Floor." The new record, her first studio release in seven years, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 134,000 equivalent album units and notched the biggest streaming week of her entire career. Madonna, whose four-decade run includes 19 VMA wins, has topped the nominations twice before: in 1990 with nine for "Vogue," and in 1998 with nine for "Ray of Light" and "Frozen." This year she leads all nominees with 11, ahead of Taylor Swift's nine and the seven apiece for Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter. For context, the original "Confessions on a Dance Floor" took home the Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2007, a win that highlights how firmly she remains associated with the genre.

Industry observers are already floating the idea that Madonna could dominate next year's Grammy Awards, especially in the dance and electronic categories where "Confessions II" fits naturally. "Madonna has always been a Grammy favorite in the dance field, and this album's commercial and critical reception makes her a front-runner in those categories," one veteran music journalist said. Those predictions carry extra weight given her previous success in the same category. The Recording Academy has a long history of honoring established artists who push dance music forward, and Madonna's track record puts her in a strong position for further recognition.

This year's VMAs will be held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, the ceremony's first West Coast outing in nine years. The last L.A. broadcast was in 2017, when Katy Perry hosted from the pre-Kia Forum. Snoop Dogg will serve as host, with additional performers, presenters and special guests set to be announced in the coming week. The Peacock Theatre, a relatively new venue in downtown L.A., gives the event a fresh backdrop.

The show will air live on September 27 at 4:30 p.m. PT on CBS, simulcast on MTV, and stream on Paramount+ (Premium) in the U.S. International viewers can watch the following day on Paramount+ and MTV.