NEWSMadonna Is Returning to the VMAs for the First Time Since Her Shocking Britney Spears Kiss
Madonna returned to the VMAs 23 years after her infamous kiss with Brittany Spears.
Sept. 17 2026, Published 1:07 p.m. ET
Madonna is heading back to the MTV Video Music Awards, more than two decades after her infamous onstage kiss.
The Queen of Pop, 68, will open the 2026 VMAs with her first live performance at the awards show in 23 years.
MTV and CBS announced the news Wednesday, confirming that she will take the stage during a particularly major year in her career.
Madonna’s last live VMA appearance featured Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott.
Her last VMA performance came in 2003, when she opened the ceremony alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott.
The unforgettable performance featured a medley of “Hollywood,” “Like a Virgin” and “Passenger.
But it was Madonna’s kisses with Spears and Aguilera that became the biggest talking point of the night.
The “Material Girl” hitmaker appeared onstage dressed as a groom while the two wore bridal-inspired looks.
After performing together, Madonna kissed the 44-year-old before turning to the actress moments later.
The moment instantly became one of the most talked-about VMA performances ever, particularly after the broadcast camera cut to the Spears’ then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake immediately after the kiss.
Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears Reflected on the Infamous Kiss
Christina Aguilera later revealed that the broadcast’s camera cut left her feeling 'left out.'
Speaking to SiriusXM’s Radio Andy in 2018, Aguilera recalled seeing the newspaper coverage the next day and realizing the focus had largely been on Spears and Madonna.
“I guess I got left out of that one,” the 45-year-old said at the time.
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Britney Spears revealed that Madonna’s kiss was not part of their original rehearsal plans.
Years later, however, Aguilera insisted she never viewed the kiss as particularly shocking.
During a 2020 conversation with Apple Music’s "The Zane Lowe Show," she reflected on the performance and said, “It was like, ‘Okay, it’s two girls kissing.’”
For Spears, the decision to kiss Madonna was apparently a last-minute one.
In her memoir The Woman in Me, the pop star revealed that the pair had rehearsed an air kiss before she decided shortly before the live performance to “just go for it.”
Madonna Leads the 2026 VMAs With 11 Nominations
Snoop Dogg will host the 2026 VMAs as Madonna prepares to make her long-awaited return.
The return also comes on the heels of Madonna’s latest album, Confessions II, which arrived July 3 as her 15th studio album.
The record serves as a long-awaited follow-up to her 2005 dance-pop classic Confessions on a Dance Floor and sees the singer reflecting on love, loss, family and her journey as an artist.
The 2026 VMAs also mark a major night for the music icon professionally.
She leads all artists with 11 nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year for Confessions II – The Film and Song of the Year for “Bring Your Love,” her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.
The ceremony will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, with Snoop Dogg serving as host.
