Sunday night saw Madonna return to the MTV Video Music Awards, and she kicked off the 2026 ceremony with an opening act befitting her absence. It marked her first VMA performance in 23 years, and it came with a star-studded lineup: Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX joined her on stage. The show also included a moment that could have come straight from a David Lynch fever dream: dancers whose crotches shot lasers.
Opening With Acroyoga and Lasers
A surreal field became the setting for the opening act, with dancers moving through acroyoga poses while lasers emerged from their private parts. The intro clip soon gave way, and Madonna appeared perched atop a piano.
With her back turned toward the audience, Sabrina Carpenter sat at the keys, adorned with a black berret. The two then began playing “Bring Your Love.” together.
Charli XCX Walks Out of a Bathroom Stall
The performance shifted into “Danceteria Afterhours,” and that is when Charli XCX made her entrance. She walked out of a bathroom stall to join Madonna for their newly released collaboration. The stage crackled with the gritty, raw sensuality both artists have made central to their work, their chemistry amplifying the effect as dancers writhed around them.
Seth Rogen smoked a blunt during his brief cameo on stage. Actress Julia Garner also appeared during the performance, a particularly fitting cameo given she was chosen to play Madonna in the singer’s long-delayed biopic, which ultimately collapsed at Universal before going into production.
A Track That Rewrites a Classic
“Danceteria Afterhours” arrived just days before the VMAs, fueling speculation that Madonna and Charli might take the stage together. Produced by Stuart Price, the track marks Madonna and Charli XCX’s first official musical collaboration. It reworks Madonna’s “Danceteria,” with Charli adding her own verse to the Confessions II song.
Madonna’s Long History With the VMAs
Madonna’s return to the VMAs was her first since 2003, when she opened the show alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott. The singer has a long connection to the event, having appeared at the very first one, performing “Like a Virgin” at the inaugural ceremony in 1984.
The Performance’s Visual Hook
The crotch lasers served as the visual centerpiece, yet the true force behind the performance lay with the music and those performing it. Madonna combined three separate identities — the pop star, the actress, and the electronic artist — and let the interplay between them carry the evening.
The Cameos Keep It Moving
Julia Garner’s presence was a callback to the biopic that never got made. Seth Rogen’s blunt-smoking cameo added a dash of chaos, and both appearances kept the performance moving without ever losing focus.
The Verdict
The VMAs welcomed Madonna back with an evening that blended spectacle and substance. Lasers stood out, yet the music and the performances did most of the carrying.
- Sabrina Carpenter sat at the piano for “Bring Your Love”
- Charli XCX emerged from a bathroom stall to perform “Danceteria Afterhours”
- Julia Garner appeared during the number
- Seth Rogen smoked a blunt on stage
- Stuart Price produced the track
Madonna proved once again that she is among the most compelling live performers in music today. She claimed the biggest stage in music for herself.
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
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