Madonna is making her long-awaited return to the MTV Video Music Awards, with the pop icon set to open the 2026 ceremony in Los Angeles. She will perform songs from her new Confessions II album, giving fans a new VMA moment after her headline-making appearance at the awards show more than two decades ago.
Madonna will open the 2026 MTV VMAs 23 years after her infamous onstage kiss with Britney Spears
Madonna last performed at the MTV VMAs in 2003, when her onstage kisses with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera became one of the ceremony’s most talked-about moments. Now, after 23 years, the pop icon is returning to the awards show as the opening performer for the 2026 ceremony.
During the 2003 show, Madonna appeared dressed as a groom, while Spears and Aguilera wore bridal-inspired white outfits. The trio performed a medley of “Like a Virgin,” “Hollywood” and “Work It” before Madonna kissed Spears and then Aguilera. The broadcast then cut to Spears’ then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake watching from the audience, adding to the attention surrounding the performance.
Her return comes during an important year for her music career. Confessions II reached No. 1 in the United States and earned Madonna 11 VMA nominations. It marked her highest number of nominations in a single year.
Interestingly, Jennifer Lopez was originally expected to join the 2003 performance. According to Entertainment Weekly, Lopez revealed that she rehearsed the performance with Madonna. However, she ultimately could not participate because she was filming Shall We Dance.
When Andy Cohen asked whether the kiss was part of those rehearsals, Lopez said, “No, but [Madonna] said that that’s what she wanted to do.” She explained, “It was a thing, like, ‘We’re going to get married, I’m going to be the groom, you guys are going to sing.’”
Lopez was also supposed to come out first and perform “Like a Virgin.”
For the 2026 ceremony, Snoop Dogg will serve as host. The show will air on CBS, MTV and Paramount+. Spotify will provide additional footage and post-performance content as the event’s official audio streaming partner.
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