Madonna has never let her age get in the way of her famous energy-packed performances. But fans think her body is now struggling to keep up.
The Queen of Pop showed up to the 2026 MTV VMAs on September 27, crowned as the artist with the highest nominations this year, receiving 11 nods.
Her headline performance, however, had fans wondering why she was “struggling” onstage.
Highlights
- Madonna kicked off the 2026 MTV VMAs and was joined by a number of famous faces onstage.
- Some fans felt the 68-year-old artist’s body wasn’t able to keep up with the high-energy singing and dancing.
- “They plopped her on the piano like a sack of groceries,” one commented online.
- While accepting one of the top awards, the Queen of Pop acknowledged how some of the winners of the night wouldn’t have been born when she first performed at the VMAs.
Madonna’s chaotic VMAs performance had fans questioning whether the 68-year-old was struggling onstage
“It’s mother…” she declared before eight minutes of singing and dancing.
There was smoke, there were lasers, and there were dancers who descended from the ceiling during her show.
Madonna was joined by several famous faces, including Sabrina Carpenter, who was on the piano singing their hit song Bring Your Love.
Later on, Charli XCX was seen tossing a ciga**tte and making a surprise appearance to perform her remix of Madonna's Danceteria.
Other familiar faces, including Seth Rogen, Sombr and Julia Garner, also made cameo appearances.
Fans wondered if Madonna’s body could still keep up with the demands of such performances
Amid the star-studded spectacle, fans wondered if Madonna’s body could still keep up with the demands of such performances.
The pop icon has spent decades building a reputation for power-packed shows, complete with intense choreography, costume changes, and provocative stunts.
But certain moments from Sunday night’s performance had fans wondering if she was “struggling.”
Some pointed out a moment where dancers appeared to “toss” her onstage like a “ragdoll.”
Another asked, “Like why they throwing her like that???”
Others had the same thoughts cross their mind, asking, “Why'd they toss her onto the stage like that??”
“They all just throwing her around like a ragdoll,” one said.
“They plopped her on the piano like a sack of groceries,” wrote another.
On the other hand, some viewers believed her expressions of discomfort were part of the act
Some viewers believed it was all part of the act and pointed out references to her Confessions II short film released earlier this year.
“It was part of the act,” one said.
Another wrote, “She was acting lol. Leave that lady alone.”
“I don’t think she was [struggling], but why make fun of her? She’s an icon. Been doing this so long! I was 7 years old when she came out,” said one fan. “She’s 68 years old. I can’t do the sh** she does lol.”
“Tell us you’ve never seen the Confessions II film without telling us,” another fan said.
“I hope they don’t break her hip,” another wrote. “Holy moly!”
The award show performance certainly did borrow references from her Confessions II film released earlier this year. Both featured masked, camera-wielding figures surrounding the singer at different points.
There was also a sequence in the film where she dances on top of the table, similar to her VMAs performance.
27 years since she won her last VMA, Madonna made a huge comeback with 7 VMA wins on September 27
After kicking off the show on a high note, Madonna went on to win seven awards last night, including Best Collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter for Bring Your Love, and Artist of the Year.
She also won Best Dance for Confessions II – The Film, Best Album for Confessions II, Best Long Form Video for Confessions II – The Film, Best Choreography for Confessions II – The Film, and Best Cinematography for Confessions II – The Film.
While accepting the Moon Person statuette for Artist of the Year, Madonna joked about how some of the night’s other winners were probably not even born when she first performed at the VMAs four decades back.
“First of all, I would like to thank my fingers because I can always count on them,” she said. “Some of you were probably not born — most of you were probably not born — but I performed at the first VMAs 43 years ago.”
“I spent the last year and a half finding myself, believing in myself and making the music I want to make,” she added, “and to me, that really is the definition of being an artist.”
The Queen of Pop last performed at the VMAs in 2003 with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera
Madonna’s performance at the 2026 VMAs marked her first live act in 23 years at the annual music awards show.
Her last VMAs show was in 2003, where she famously opened the ceremony alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
The trio performed Like a Virgin and Hollywood, with Madonna and Spears sharing a kiss that instantly became one of the most talked-about moments in MTV history.
Madonna also gave a raunchy performance during the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, which positioned the VMAs as a rebellious alternative to the Grammys and other award shows.
“It looks like she was in pain,” one commented on Madonna's 2026 VMAs performance
