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

Madonna is set to open the MTV Video Music Awards with her first live performance at the show in 23 years.

The pop star last graced the VMA stage as a performer with her iconic 2003 appearance with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. She already received a big look ahead of the VMAs with 11 nominations in the wake of her latest album “Confessions II,” putting her ahead of Taylor Swift with nine nominations and Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, who had seven apiece. She has 19 career wins and previously led nominations twice, with nine nods for “Vogue” in 1990 and nine for “Ray of Light” and “Frozen” in 1998.

Madonna is riding high on “Confessions II,” a sequel to her 2005 dance record “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” The critically acclaimed record, her first in seven years, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 134,000 equivalent album units and delivered her best streaming week ever. Fans are already speculating that Madonna could be a strong contender at the Grammy Awards next year, particularly in the dance and electronic categories.

The VMAs will take place this year at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, marking the first time the show has been held on the West Coast in nine years. The show was last broadcast from L.A. in 2017, when it was hosted by Katy Perry from the pre-Kia Forum.

Snoop Dogg is set to host the event, and additional performers, presenters and special guests will be revealed over the next week. The VMAs will air live on September 27 at 4:30 p.m. PT on CBS and will be simulcast on MTV and stream on Paramount+ (Premium) in the United States. It will be available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.