Music Festival Guide — Music

Madonna at the 2026 VMAs: At 68, She Still Does Whatever She Wants

Music Festival Guide — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Madonna did not ease back onto the MTV Video Music Awards stage. On September 27, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, she opened the show for the first time in 23 years, announced herself with “It’s mother…,” and spent the next eight minutes reminding a room full of younger stars who built this circus. Sabrina Carpenter was at the piano. Charli XCX walked out of a bathroom stall. Seth Rogen smoked a joint somewhere in the chaos. By the end of the night Madonna had seven Moonmen, including Artist of the Year. She is 68. The interesting part is that the number never became the story. The performance did. What actually happened in the opener The medley came from Confessions II, the July 2026 sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor. First up was “Bring Your Love,” the house-pop single with Carpenter. Madonna started spread-eagle on a black grand piano while Carpenter played underneath, then the two dropped into choreography as bondage-clad dancers doubled as steadicam operators. A platform carried Madonna across the stage. A choir in veiled white habits sang the chorus. She changed into red and writhed on a table ringed by that choir. Then the set became the men’s room at Danceteria, the early-’80s New York club the song is named for. Charli XCX stepped out of a stall in shield sunglasses, fishnets, and a tight black dress, cigarette in hand, for “Danceteria Afterhours,” the remix released the week of the show. The bathroom had a hand dryer (a wink at Desperately Seeking Susan), a platform of dancers dressed as Madonna’s old eras, and a snatch of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Julia Garner, Debi Mazar, Sombr, and Andrew Watt popped through the frame. Rolling Stone later called the “Danceteria” half one of the great moments in VMAs history. It was messy on purpose. The New York Times found the Carpenter section serviceable and a little disjointed, and said the night peaked once Charli arrived in the grimy club bathroom. That split is fair. “Bring Your Love” was the hit. “Danceteria Afterhours” was the thesis. The 68-year-old problem that isn’t one Every Madonna return gets the same preview question: should she still be doing this? The 2026 VMAs answered it by letting her do the most Madonna thing available. She kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on this stage in 2003 and then stayed away for 23 years. She came back not as a legacy act singing “Like a Virgin,” but as the center of a new dance record, borrowing the two pop stars who currently own the lane she invented. Carpenter, in glitter shorts, played the eager collaborator and the punchline. Charli played the heir who already talks like the club never closed. Madonna played the only person in the building who does not have to ask permission. At 68 she was on her back on a piano, in a nun-choir fever dream, then in a nightclub toilet with a cigarette-flicking guest. CBS aired it. Nobody credible argued she had misread the assignment. That is the actual privilege of the age. Younger stars still negotiate how much skin, how much joke, how much chaos a broadcast will tolerate. Madonna negotiated that in 1984, when she was told her career was over after she fell during “Like a Virgin” at the first VMAs. Four decades later she is still the one the show books to open, still the one who leads the nominations (13 this year), still the one who can make a bathroom set feel like a historical argument. The speeches were the second performance The wins piled up: Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration for “Bring Your Love,” Best Dance, Best Album, plus long-form, choreography, and cinematography honors tied to Confessions II and its film. She accepted several of them like someone who had not rehearsed and did not intend to. Accepting Best Collaboration, she told the room she waited five days for Carpenter’s team, got impatient, and DM’d her directly. They were in the studio within weeks. Carpenter laughed and recovered on mic. One account has her getting bleeped for saying her team was losing it backstage. It was awkward, unprepared, and more famous by Monday than half the performances. That is also the point. Award-show gratitude is a genre. Madonna treats the podium the way she treats the stage: as a place where polish is optional and attention is not. Who won the trio Carpenter was precise. She hit the steps, sold the glitter, and gave the duet a center of gravity when the staging got busy. Charli was the spark. The stall entrance, the shades, the fishnets, the refusal to look impressed: “Danceteria Afterhours” is the clip people will still send around when the rest of the telecast has blurred. Snoop Dogg was the host. Madonna was onstage more. Madonna did not out-dance either of them. She did not need to. She out-authored the night. The guests, the club-bathroom set, the old-era doppelgängers, the joint, the biopic joke with Julia Garner, the seven trophies: all of it only works if the room already agrees she can do whatever she wants. At 68, that agreement is the performance.

EDC Orlando 2026 Lineup: Friday, Saturday and Sunday Artists

Music Festival Guide — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The EDC Orlando 2026 lineup has landed, and choosing a day may be harder than choosing an outfit. EDC returns to Tinker Field in Orlando, Florida, November 6–8, 2026, with three days spanning big-room favourites, house, techno, trance-leaning sounds and plenty of bass. The official lineup is already organised by day, which makes the first round of planning a little easier. Your inevitable set-time conflicts are a problem for future you.

Friday, November 6: David Guetta, Afrojack and a packed opening day

Friday makes a strong case for arriving early. David Guetta, Afrojack and Alesso are on the bill, with Alesso listed for a sunset set. Adventure Club also has a sunset set scheduled, while Chris Lorenzo, Mau P, Josh Baker and Prospa give house fans several reasons to keep moving.

There are some particularly tempting pairings, too: Bou b2b Kanine and Prospa b2b Josh Baker appear on Friday's lineup. Bass fans can add Wooli, Kompany, Level Up and Levity to the shortlist. It is a varied opening day, so a single must-see list probably will not survive contact with the eventual set times.

Saturday, November 7: Kaskade, Alison Wonderland and a darker edge

Saturday brings Kaskade, Alison Wonderland and Steve Aoki, plus an Alan Walker sunset set. ACRAZE b2b CID, Dennis Cruz, Franky Rizardo and Disco Lines give dance-floor-focused fans plenty to work with.

If you like your night heavier, Saturday also features Nico Moreno, Ray Volpe, LAYZ and Skull Machine — the Black Tiger Sex Machine and Kai Wachi project. It may be the day with the widest swing between melodic singalong moments and full-send intensity.

Sunday, November 8: Martin Garrix, Hardwell and big b2b energy

EDC Orlando is closing with a serious lineup. Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Alok and Meduza appear on Sunday. The techno end of the day is covered by Ki/Ki, I Hate Models and Klangkuenstler, with Holy Priest also on the bill.

Sunday's special sets deserve their own shortlist. The official lineup includes Boys Noize b2b Brutalismus 3000, Deorro b2b DJ Diesel, a Marlon Hoffstadt sunset set, a SLANDER sunset set and San Holo's Wholesome Riddim Set. Bass fans can also look for ATLiens, Boogie T, Jessica Audiffred and TroyBoi.

Which EDC Orlando 2026 day should you choose?

Friday is particularly appealing for fans of major festival names mixed with house and bass. Saturday balances familiar headliners with harder sounds. Sunday brings Martin Garrix and Hardwell together with some of the weekend's most distinctive b2b and specialty sets.

That is our read of the lineup, not a promise about stage placement or set times. Our EDC Orlando page has the full lineup split by day, plus venue, hours and ticket details.

Check the official EDC Orlando 2026 lineup as your trip gets closer, especially before making a one-day ticket decision.

Tomorrowland Thailand 2026 Lineup: Artists, Genres and Highlights

Music Festival Guide — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Tomorrowland Thailand has revealed the lineup for its first full-scale Asian festival, and it is giving electronic music fans plenty to explore. Martin Garrix and Swedish House Mafia lead a bill of more than 100 artists performing at Wisdom Valley in Pattaya from December 11–13, 2026. The festival says the debut is sold out.

The biggest names will draw attention, naturally. Garrix and Swedish House Mafia are joined by Afrojack, Alan Walker, Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Alok, Lost Frequencies, Laidback Luke, R3HAB and Yellow Claw. That is a substantial collection of festival favourites in one place. But the most interesting part of the Tomorrowland Thailand 2026 lineup may be how much ground it covers beyond the headline names.

More than a mainstage lineup

Trance fans have Aly & Fila, Cosmic Gate and Ferry Corsten to look forward to. For listeners who prefer a deeper or tougher sound, Kevin de Vries, Kölsch and Lilly Palmer are among the names to find. NERVO, Netsky and Infected Mushroom add even more range to a program built for wandering between styles rather than staying in one musical lane all weekend.

That variety matters at Tomorrowland. The best festival days often start with an artist you already love and end with a set you discovered by taking a chance on another stage. With three days of music, Thailand's debut should offer plenty of opportunities for both.

Thai talent belongs on your must-see list

This is the part of the lineup worth paying particular attention to: more than 20 local artists are scheduled to perform. Tomorrowland highlights Thai names including Botcash, Honey Gee, Lonskii, Yukio, Pixzy, Maysaa, Riviere, KARTY, Meltmode, Tiger Drama, Mike Bond and Nakadia.

For international visitors, those sets are a chance to discover artists connected to the country hosting the festival. For Thai performers, the event offers a major platform alongside international acts. Our advice? Save space in your schedule for at least a few unfamiliar names. Flying to Thailand only to watch the same artists you catch everywhere else would be a bit of a missed opportunity.

Who should you see at Tomorrowland Thailand 2026?

If you want the huge shared moments, start with Martin Garrix and Swedish House Mafia. If trance is your thing, put Aly & Fila, Cosmic Gate and Ferry Corsten on your shortlist. If you are heading for techno, look up Kevin de Vries, Kölsch and Lilly Palmer. Then explore the Thai artists and build the rest of your weekend around what catches your ear.

The full Tomorrowland Thailand lineup is on our festival page, along with dates, venue details and what we know about the site.

Tomorrowland's official festival page says more artists may be announced. Check the official lineup page for additions and final scheduling.