What time is the MTV VMAs 2026? TV Channel and Schedule for this year's show

The 2026 MTV VMAs are set for Sunday night, with the ceremony returning to Los Angeles and a packed lineup of performers, tributes and major moments planned for the show.

Taylor Swift will be one of the night's central figures, with a new directorial honor adding to her record haul of VMA wins and speculation continuing over whether she could appear during the ceremony.

Swift is not currently listed as a live performer, but her Patient Zero music video is set to receive its first public visual presentation following its release as part of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.

The video stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson and features cinematography from Academy Award winner Emmanuel Lubezki , while Swift directed the project herself as part of her expanding filmmaking work.

Swift has performed at the VMAs six times, beginning with You Belong With Me in 2009. Her most recent performance came in 2019, leaving a live return this year unconfirmed.

Madonna will also command plenty of attention, returning to the VMAs for the first time in 23 years. She leads this year's nominations with 11 and remains one of the ceremony's defining figures.

The ceremony will also feature performances from LISA , RAYE , Sombr and Sienna Spiro , while GENER8TION and Yung Lean are among the artists making their VMA debuts.

Raye , Teddy Swims and Sombr will join forces for a tribute to the late George Michael as 2026 marks a decade since his death, while Snoop Dogg takes over hosting duties for this year's ceremony in southern California .

What time do the MTV VMAs 2026 start?

The 2026 VMAs will air live on CBS and MTV on Sunday, September 27 , with the ceremony beginning at 19:30 ET/16:30 PT . Paramount+ will also stream the event for premium subscribers.

That start time marks the latest chapter for a ceremony returning to Los Angeles for the first time since 2017, as the show had been staged in New Jersey and New York during the intervening years.

Swift will also receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors , recognizing artists who have built an influential body of work while developing a distinctive directorial voice across their careers.

The award description says it “celebrates a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.”

The honor will give Swift 31 VMA wins, moving her ahead of Beyonce for the record. She has won Video of the Year five times and claimed Best Direction four times since 2019.