Madonna's first MTV Video Music Awards performance in 23 years came with a wardrobe plan to match. She opened the 2026 ceremony at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater on Sept. 27 in a corseted stage look, changed for each of her trips back to the podium, and accepted Artist of the Year in classic black pumps, a detail that gained meaning once she started talking about 1984.
madonna performing 'danceteria' with charli xcx at the vmas pic.twitter.com/3JXPjzSRU8
— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) September 28, 2026
The opening look was styled by her longtime collaborator Rita Melssen. According to Yahoo's coverage, Madonna wore a structured black silk robe over a deep-red lingerie leotard, with a black corset cinched over the top. Fingerless gloves, fishnets and black knee-high boots finished it. Other outlets described the robe as a blazer or a satin mini trench, and at least one called the bodysuit pink-toned. Most accounts settle on a red or wine shade. Partway through the set she swapped the robe for a black leather jacket, a change the show built into the choreography as she performed "Bring Your Love" with Sabrina Carpenter and "Danceteria Afterhours" with Charli xcx.
