Return to Dance

Dance has long been central to how music becomes visual culture. Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Madonna’s Vogue, Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity and Beyoncé’s Single Ladies are just a few of the iconic music videos that turned choreography into an essential part of the song itself. Today, dance continues to drive cultural moments, connecting artists and fans across stages, screens and social platforms.

After a seven-year absence, BACARDÍ brought the Best Dance category back to the MTV Video Music Awards on September 27, 2026, celebrating dance’s enduring power to bring people together.

The return came amid a historic night of social buzz around the award show, as fans around the world watched, shared and celebrated the VMAs.

2026 VMAs: A Global Social Moment

• 31.1M social interactions and 159M video views on September 27
• #1 most social show of the day
• #1 worldwide on X, trending in 10 countries with 18 related topics
• 9M mentions, with 94% neutral or positive sentiment
• 66% of conversation generated by international audiences

We're Finding New Ways to Gather Around Music

From daytime parties and morning raves to live festivals, fans are finding new ways to connect through music. Among Gen Z, attendance at daytime music events increased 44% year-over-year (Eventbrite, 2025)

Dance is central to that connection, turning listening into participation, whether in person or online.

The Power of Dance

• 8 in 10 Americans say dancing helps them express how they feel
• 41% have become more interested in dancing with friends over the past few years

Dance Travels Easily

The ways people participate in dance have expanded far beyond the traditional dance floor. A routine can start online and end up onstage: take, for example, Charli xcx’s viral “Apple” dance, which spread across TikTok before becoming part of live festival culture at Primavera Sound. Or it can move in the opposite direction: Tyla’s “Water” choreography grew out of her live performances before fans recreated it in more than 500,000 TikTok videos. Dance now moves easily between stages, screens and communities, giving more people a way to take part rather than simply watch. 

• 75% of Americans say they don't need to understand a song's lyrics to dance to it
• 69% agree dance helps them feel closer to others

Return to Dance at the 2026 VMAs

That energy came to life at the 2026 VMAs, where dance took center stage in performances that captivated audiences and sparked millions of interactions beyond the show. Yung Lean delivered what quickly became one of the most viral moments of the night, his immaculately choreographed 60-person piece generating millions of views and copycat posts across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. LALISA’s performance of “SaWaDiKa” also garnered massive social engagement, featuring Muay Thai-inspired choreography and a memorable tuk-tuk exit, sparking excitement among fans worldwide, and demonstrating how dance can transcend borders and turn live performances into global cultural moments.

DANCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

• Yung Lean: 10.9M video views and 676K engagements
   
   
• LALISA: 8.5M video views and 439K engagements
  
  
   

The night culminated in Madonna accepting the revived Best Dance award for Confessions II – The Film, capturing the spirit of the occasion:

“Dance brings everybody together. We are all equal on the dance floor.” —Madonna 

Through its global Do What Moves You platform, BACARDÍ has long championed music and movement as forces for connection. By bringing Best Dance back to the VMAs, the brand celebrated not only the artists shaping dance culture, but the fans who make it a shared experience. 

Sources: Paramount Social Media Analytics + Research Team, Performance metrics, ListenFirst, 2026, Paramount Dance Survey, 2026