MTV's 2020 VMA Awards were originally set to be held Sunday, August 30 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center with a reduced audience or none at all. The date is still on, but MTV has decided against Barclays, opting instead to hold them outdoors at various locations around the city, still with "limited or no audience."
“The 2020 VMAs will be held on Sunday, Aug. 30 and pay homage to the incredible resiliency of New York with several outdoor performances throughout the city with limited or no audience, adhering to all state and city guidelines," reads the official statement. "In close consultation with state and local health officials, it became clear at this time that outdoor performances with limited or no audience would be more feasible and safer than an indoor event.”