Is Bruno Mars Attending the 2026 VMAs Tonight? Here’s Why He’s Skipping

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Bruno Mars is nominated for a slew of 2026 VMAs, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be showing up to collect. Bruno’s skipping the annual awards show amid his busy schedule—despite being in major categories like Song of the Summer, Artist of the Year, and Best Album. (Reminder: he and Rosé won Song of the Year in 2025 with “APT.”)

So what’s he doing instead? Playing a show at Falcon Stadium at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado as part of The Romantic Tour. Of course, it’s possible that he prerecorded a message for the VMAs if he wins, so stay tuned for that.

Bruno chatted about The Romantic Tour to The Edge NZ, saying live performances in the age of AI are “the most important” and that “the only reason why I’m doing this is because I watched videos of my favorite artists live. And I went to a Micheal Jackson concert, he came down to Hawaii, it’s such a magical experience. I hope that anybody who goes to a live concert they get to feel that, whether it’s mine or not. I know that feeling and I wish that for everyone. And you can’t get that anywhere else, a computer can’t do that, so I’m not tripping.”

If you miss Bruno at the VMAs, you can still catch him on tour. Tickets this way!