If you missed the 2026 VMAs and are trying to figure out which performances everybody is still talking about, start here.
The show was packed with big-name sets, surprise pairings and two very different tribute moments — and yes, you can still rewatch the full ceremony.
This is the performance roundup. If you want the whole show instead of individual highlights, jump to our 2026 VMAs Paramount+ replay guide.
Madonna opened the show with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx
Madonna returned to the VMA stage for her first performance there in 23 years and opened the show with a medley built around Confessions II.
The set included “One Step Away,” “Bring Your Love” with Sabrina Carpenter and “Danceteria Afterhours” with Charli xcx. It also turned the stage into a full downtown-club fever dream, complete with a bathroom set and celebrity cameos.
We broke down the whole opener separately in our Madonna 2026 VMA opening-performance story.
RAYE performed “I Will Overcome” and “Where Is My Husband?”
RAYE went in the opposite direction from the giant spectacle sets and let the arrangement and vocals do most of the work.
Her two-song performance moved from “I Will Overcome” into “Where Is My Husband?” with a large live ensemble and a deliberately old-school feel. We have a separate RAYE VMA performance recap if that is the set you came looking for.
LISA debuted “SaWaDiKa” live
LISA performed “SaWaDiKa” live for the first time at the VMAs, leaning into the boxing imagery from the song’s video and a choreography-heavy stage setup.
She also had a very good night before that performance: “Dream” won Best Pop.
Shaboozey performed “Cowgirl” and brought out Gunna for “High Noon”
Shaboozey opened his set with “Cowgirl” inside a Western-style saloon setup, then Gunna joined him for “High Noon.”
The performance went extremely literal with the theme in the best possible VMA way: cards, bar-fight energy, a black carriage and a set that eventually appeared to catch fire.
Sienna Spiro performed “Great Expectation” before winning Best New Artist
Sienna Spiro performed “Great Expectation” during the ceremony and later won Best New Artist after fan voting continued into the show. If that is the name you came here trying to place, our Sienna Spiro Best New Artist guide has the winner-and-performer context.
If you landed here from the old voting page, that ballot is closed now. We updated that page with the final result and the full nominee list.
Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Dolly Parton
Kacey Musgraves performed “I Will Always Love You” in a pre-recorded tribute to Dolly Parton.
The segment began with archival footage of Parton before Musgraves took over the song with a stripped-back piano-and-vocal arrangement.
The George Michael tribute turned into its own mini-concert
The George Michael tribute brought together SOMBR, RAYE, Teddy Swims, Adam Lambert, MEEK, MNEK and Saint Harison.
SOMBR opened with “Faith” and “Father Figure,” RAYE performed “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” Teddy Swims took on “Careless Whisper,” and Adam Lambert closed with “Freedom! ’90.”
GENER8ION and Yung Lean closed out the night
GENER8ION and Yung Lean were part of the final performance stretch of the 2026 VMAs, giving the show one last visually heavy set before the night wrapped.
Where can you rewatch the 2026 VMA performances?
If you want the performances in context, the easiest route is the full show replay. Paramount+ has the 2026 ceremony on demand, and you do not need Paramount+ Premium just to watch the replay after the live broadcast.
Our full 2026 VMA replay guide explains the Essential-versus-Premium difference so you do not accidentally pay for an upgrade you do not need.
Spotify also has a separate VMA video hub with classic performances and select 2026 material. That is different from the full ceremony; our Spotify VMA performances guide covers that archive.
Quick list: 2026 VMA performances to rewatch
- Madonna with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx
- RAYE
- LISA
- Shaboozey with Gunna
- Sienna Spiro
- Kacey Musgraves’ Dolly Parton tribute
- SOMBR, RAYE, Teddy Swims, Adam Lambert, MEEK, MNEK and Saint Harison in the George Michael tribute
- GENER8ION and Yung Lean
If you only have time for three, I would start with Madonna’s opener, the George Michael tribute and RAYE. Then go back for the rest when you inevitably decide one clip was not enough.
