Snoop Dogg Opens the 2026 VMAs! 🔥 | 2026 VMAs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEX0VDKZtLQ

Snoop Dogg kicked off the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with exactly the kind of energy fans expected from the Los Angeles native — plenty of jokes, West Coast pride and a few shots at one of the night's biggest stars.

Hosting the ceremony at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, Snoop celebrated the VMAs' return to the West Coast for the first time since 2017.

And he had a simple condition when MTV first approached him about hosting.

“Is It Gonna Be in L.A.?”

During his opening monologue, Snoop joked that when he was first asked to host the show, his response was essentially: If it's not in Los Angeles, he's busy.

The joke played off his deep connection to the city and the significance of bringing the VMAs back to L.A.

When MTV came back with a different answer, Snoop was suddenly available.

The rapper's hometown pride became one of the running themes of his opening, as he welcomed viewers to what he promised would be a huge West Coast celebration.

Snoop Has Fun With Madonna

Snoop also couldn't resist joking about Madonna, who opened the 2026 VMAs with her first live performance at the awards show in 23 years.

After praising the pop icon's performance, Snoop delivered a cheeky reference to her classic hit “Like a Virgin,” telling the crowd that Madonna “ain't a virgin no more.”

The joke immediately set the tone for a night built around big personalities and unexpected moments.

A Full-Circle Moment

For Snoop, hosting the VMAs was more than another awards-show appearance.

The 13-time VMA nominee and three-time winner has been connected to the ceremony for decades, including his 2005 tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. and his 2022 performance with Eminem.

Now, he was standing at center stage as host.

The 2026 ceremony also marked the VMAs' first return to Los Angeles since 2017, making the location especially fitting for Snoop.

A Night Packed With Big Moments

Snoop's opening was only the beginning of a packed night.

Madonna opened the show, while Taylor Swift, LISA, Sabrina Carpenter and other major stars were among the night's headline names. The ceremony also featured a reunion of Nirvana and a lineup of performances spanning pop, hip-hop and alternative music.

But before the awards and performances took over, Snoop made sure everyone knew exactly where they were — and why he was willing to host.

For Snoop Dogg, apparently, Los Angeles was the deal.

Source: MTV/ CBS