Madonna Opens 2026 VMAs With Star-Studded Set Featuring Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Seth Rogen & More

The Queen of Pop has finally come back home! Twenty-three years after she shook the world with her Britney Spears-Christina Aguilera smooch, Madonna returned to the MTV Video Music Awards stage to open the 2026 ceremony with a thrilling Confessions II medley, bringing along new-school pop divas Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx.

As throbbing Confessions II instrumentals and “It’s motha!” chants died down, the camera panned to center stage to reveal Carpenter, clad in a classic black-and-white getup, pounding out the opening chords of “Bring Your Love” on piano with Madonna hovering above her. Soon enough, the acoustic rendition morphed into an all-out dance-floor rave, with dancers flooding the stage and helping Madonna strip her original black costume into a maroon number reminiscent of the 2005 Confessions on a Dance Floor album cover leotard.

Once the dancers lifted Madonna onto a moving platform, she performed light choreography as a “Like a Prayer”-esque choir belted out the “I did it love” refrain, preparing a transition into “Danceteria.” Naturally, Charli xcx joined the Queen of Pop to perform their recently released “Danceteria Afterhours” remix, featuring an instantly iconic cameo from Debi Mazar.

The “Danceteria” segment recreated the bathroom dance party from the Confessions II short film. This time around, celebrity cameos included Grammy-nominated alt-pop breakout sombr, Emmy-winning actress Julia Garner (who’s attached to Madge’s long-gestating biopic), Seth Rogen and Fab 5 Freddy (who’s name-dropped in the “Danceteria” bridge). There was even a dancer clad in Keith Haring’s signature symbols as a nod to his mention in “Danceteria,” which traces Madonna’s Lower East Side origin story.

Confessions II debuted atop the Billboard 200 this summer, marking Madonna’s 10th solo studio album. The acclaimed sequel to 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor has since spawned a pair of Dance Airplay chart-toppers in “Danceteria” and “Love Sensation.” Alongside Carpenter, the 16-track set also features guest appearances by Feid, Stromae, Lola Leon and Martin Garrix. Confessions II launched alongside a short film of the same name, starring a litany of celebrities across entertainment, including Kate Moss, Odess A’zion, Benedict Cumberbatch, Debi Mazar, João Pedro, Lourdes Leon, Shygirl, Richard E. Grant and Julia Garner.

Madonna leads this year’s VMAs with 13 nominations, including video of the year, best dance and artist of the year. With 84 career nods, she’s the second most-nominated artist in VMAs history behind Beyoncé (85). Notably, in 1986, Madge became the first female recipient of the Video Vanguard Award, making it no surprise that she tied Lady Gaga’s 16-year-old record for most nominations in a single night this year.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.