Madonna opened the 2026 VMAs with a performance built around her new album Confessions II, beginning with a duet alongside Sabrina Carpenter before the set changed into a club restroom inspired by the music video. The performance moved between different visual settings as Madonna and her dancers brought the album’s world to the stage. The appearance also marked another major moment in Madonna’s long history with the VMAs, while introducing a younger pop audience to her latest material.
The performance took another turn when Charli XCX appeared on stage. Dressed in fishnets, platform heels and shield sunglasses, Charli joined Madonna for the next part of the performance. The two singers performed together as dancers moved around a glossy restroom set, with the choreography making use of stalls and urinals as part of the stage design. Rather than being a traditional duet, the segment combined music, dance and the visual style associated with Charli’s work, giving the performance a distinctly club inspired feel.
CHARLI XCX PERFORMING ‘DANCETERIA AFTERHOURS’ WITH MADONNA pic.twitter.com/LbLrourkag
— Info Charli xcx (@infocharlixcx) September 28, 2026
The appearance also brought together artists from different generations of pop music. Debi Mazar, Julia Garner, Sombr and several other familiar faces made cameo appearances during the performance. Their presence added to the connection between Madonna’s earlier career and the current generation of artists and performers. Charli XCX’s appearance was particularly notable because of her own journey in pop music and the influence of artists who came before her, including Sophie.
The performance quickly became one of the talking points from the 2026 VMAs, with fans describing the collaboration as “full-circle” and “unforgettable.” The references to Charli’s career and Sophie also gave the moment an added emotional layer beyond the choreography. Madonna’s opening performance ultimately combined new music from Confessions II with a younger generation of pop artists, while Charli XCX’s appearance created a meeting point between two different eras of pop culture.
