Madonna Opens the VMAs From a Graffiti Bathroom, Then Wins Artist of the Year: ‘I Dove Onto the Stage’

Madonna opened the 2026 VMAs with a bathroom stall. Charli xcx walked out of it to join her for “Danceteria Afterhours,” the last stop in a medley that began with Sabrina Carpenter on “Bring Your Love,” and the Queen of Pop ended the night with a trophy case that was heavier than anyone's.

It was her first performance at the show in 23 years, and her fifth time opening it, a VMAs record, Billboard noted. The last time she kicked things off was 2003, with the Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera kiss. The set this time was built around a graffiti-covered bathroom and packed with cameos: Sombr in an outrageous leather outfit, Julia Garner, Debi Mazar, Seth Rogen, Andrew Watt, Tony Ward and Fab 5 Freddy, Rolling Stone reported. Mazar and Freddy are both named in the song's lyrics.

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She had come in as the night's most-nominated artist with 13 nods, mostly for the short film that accompanies Confessions II, and she left with seven wins. When she and Carpenter returned to accept Best Collaboration, Madonna skipped the thank-yous and told the story of how the song happened.

Everybody who knows me knows how impatient I am, and when five days passed, and I still didn’t get connected with Sabrina, and didn’t hear back from her about whether she wanted to do a song with me — five days — I DM’d her

Madonna, accepting Best Collaboration, Rolling Stone

Carpenter laughed and set the record straight: “My team replies. Just so everybody knows, they do respond to people, but I respond faster.”

‘I spent the last year-and-a-half finding myself’

Artist of the Year was the big one, and Madonna, 68, is the oldest winner of the award by a wide margin; every previous recipient was in their 20s or 30s, per Billboard. She opened her speech with a joke about her fingers and an anecdote about diving onto the stage at the very first VMAs in 1984 after a problem with her shoes. Her manager, she said, told her backstage that her career was over.

I spent the last year-and-a-half finding myself, believing in myself and really making the music I wanted to make … My hope for all of you here tonight is that you spend the next year or the next 10 years or the rest of your life doing the same.

Madonna, accepting Artist of the Year, Rolling Stone

She later accepted Best Dance, a category revived after not being awarded since 2019, with presenters Charli xcx and Troye Sivan at her side. “We’re all equal on the dance floor,” she said.

The backlash, and The View's answer

The performance also set off online commentary about Madonna's appearance and age. On Monday's (Sept. 28) episode of The View, the co-hosts pushed back. “It’s like, you can’t win no matter what direction you take it,” said Alyssa Farah Griffin, while Sunny Hostin asked, “How dare you shame someone for trying to age well and just live?”

Madonna and Charli xcx had already released “Danceteria Afterhours” days earlier. Here's how that song came together, and the rest of the VMAs winners are in our wrap.

Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.