Madonna is set to open this year’s MTV Video Music Awards with a highly anticipated performance featuring multiple special guests. The 68-year-old pop icon returns to the VMAs stage 23 years after her memorable 2003 appearance, which remains one of the ceremony’s most talked-about moments.

In that performance, Madonna appeared dressed as a groom alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, who portrayed brides. The three performed a mash-up of "Like A Virgin" and "Hollywood," culminating in a moment that attracted significant media attention: Madonna kissed both Spears and Aguilera on stage, with cameras capturing the shocked reaction of Justin Timberlake, Spears’s then-boyfriend. The bold display was emblematic of Madonna’s history of provocative moments at the VMAs, where she has been a frequent source of headline-grabbing controversy since the awards first began in 1984.

This year’s show promises another dynamic presentation. Van Toffler, the producer overseeing the VMAs, described Madonna’s upcoming opening act as a performance with “so many fun elements it’ll make your head spin,” emphasizing the artist’s ongoing significance to the network.

While the full lineup of collaborators has not been officially confirmed, Charli XCX is widely expected to join Madonna on stage. The two recently released a remix of "Danceteria Afterhours," a track from Madonna’s latest album, "Confessions II." Other potential guests may include Sabrina Carpenter, who featured on the song "Bring Your Love" alongside Madonna earlier this year, and Troye Sivan, who sampled Madonna’s 2000 hit "Music" in his recent single "Party."

Regardless of the final guest list, the performance is anticipated to be another major highlight of the award show, continuing Madonna’s legacy as one of the VMAs’ most enduring and headline-making performers.