Miley Cyrus has made Disney history, becoming the youngest-ever Disney Legend at the D23 Fan Expo for her role in "Hannah Montana."
Miley Cyrus is down for a Hannah Montanaissance. So, will fans get to see their favorite fictional pop star in concert?
The Grammy-winning singer, who broke out in the 2000s playing teen idol Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom of the same name, reflected on the series' upcoming 20th anniversary in a July 22 interview on SiriusXM. "Hannah Montana," which starred Cyrus alongside Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso and father Billy Ray Cyrus, debuted in March 2006.
"I want to design something really, really special for it because it really was the beginning of all of this," Cyrus, 32, said. "Without Hannah, there wouldn't really be this me.
"It's crazy to think that I started as a character that I thought was going to be impossible to shed, and now that's something that when I walk into a space, it's looked at as this sense of kind of, like, nostalgia or something that you have from your childhood. ... So, that's exciting to get to celebrate that."
The Emmy-nominated series, which centered on the double life of schoolgirl Miley Stewart and her stage persona Hannah, launched Cyrus to IRL music stardom. The show spawned multiple platinum-selling soundtracks, as well as the headlining Best of Both Worlds Tour, which grossed over $54 million.
The teen comedy also served as a vehicle for Cyrus' burgeoning pop music career. Her debut album, 2007's "Meet Miley Cyrus," was released as a double album alongside the "Hannah Montana 2" soundtrack.
In August 2024, Cyrus and Hannah made Disney history when Cyrus was inducted into the Disney Legends hall of fame, becoming the youngest person to receive the honor. During her emotional acceptance speech, Cyrus joked that "there was a buzz in that Burbank Disney office, where it's rumored that they create all of us Disney Kids."
"Much has changed since that day, but at the same time, nothing has changed at all," Cyrus added. "I stand here still proud to have been in 'Hannah Montana.' This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans. To quote the legend herself, 'This is the life.' "
Will there be a Hannah Montana tour in 2026?
So far, Cyrus has not announced plans to embark on a concert tour for the "Hannah Montana" 20th anniversary.
While exact anniversary plans remain under wraps, a tour seems unlikely, given Cyrus' recent comments on touring.
During a May 2023 interview with British Vogue, Cyrus -- whose last world tour was the 2014 Bangerz Tour -- said she had no desire to go on tour. The "Something Beautiful" singer added that while she enjoys performing for her friends, "singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn't really the thing that I love."
"There's no connection. There's no safety," Cyrus explained. "It's also not natural. It's so isolating because if you're in front of 100,000 people, then you are alone."
What has Miley Cyrus said about 'Hannah Montana' role?
Over the years, Cyrus has shared her conflicting feelings about her "Hannah Montana" character and the emotional complications that came with early fame.
During a March 2021 interview on "Rock This with Allison Hagendorf," the actress-singer described her childhood stardom as a time that made her feel inadequate when she wasn't in character, revealing she created a "characterized version" of herself to receive attention.
"Talk about an identity crisis. ... The concept of the show is that when you're this character (and) when you have this alter ego, you're valuable," Cyrus said at the time. "And then the concept was that when I looked like myself, when I didn't have the wig on anymore, that no one cared about me."
That same month, Cyrus embraced the character’s pop culture legacy in a social media tribute for the “Hannah Montana” series’ 15th anniversary. “We’ve shared many firsts. A lot of lasts. Ups. Downs. Tears (and) laughs,” Cyrus wrote to her TV alter ego.
“You have all my love (and) upmost gratitude,” Cyrus continued. “I am indebted not only to you Hannah but to any (and) everyone who believed in me from the beginning. You all have my loyalty (and) deepest appreciation until the end. With all sincerity I say thank you!”