Miley Cyrus Surprises Fans with a Live Performance of 'Hannah Montana' Classic ‘The Climb’ for the First Time in Years

Miley Cyrus recently took a trip down memory lane at a private concert for her fans. The pop star shocked the crowd when she began singing the opening notes of “The Climb” from the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie.

“I’m not singing ‘The Climb’ but I could,” the 32-year-old Grammy winner teased. The 100-person audience erupted and began singing along when pianist Michael Pollack started playing the chords. 

As Cyrus belted out the lyrics, she stopped to ask, “Is that the right word?” and “Do you know the chorus?” 

Once the song ended, she joked that her drummer — and boyfriend — Maxx Morando had “been waiting since middle school” to play the song. 

The performance marked the first time Cyrus has publicly performed the beloved ballad in years.

On Aug. 11, 2024, while accepting her Disney Legend honor, the multi-hyphenate got emotional while looking back on her years playing Hannah Montana.

"A little bit of everything has changed, ... but at the same time, nothing has changed at all," she said. "I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana."

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Ahead of releasing her new album, Something Beautiful,  on May 30, Cyrus held an intimate event with TikTok at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. She personally selected which fans got to attend the listening party.

After playing the album, Cyrus appeared for a surprise performance of "End of the World," "More to Lose," "Easy Lover," as well as "Flowers" and "The Climb."

Tish Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus, actress Anya Taylor-Joy, and more were also in attendance.

According to Billboard, Miley performed alongside a band of drummer Morando, guitarist Jonathan Rado and pianist Pollack. She described Something Beautiful as being "reflective of my life and everything I’m experiencing."

Cyrus announced her new album in March and released the first track, accompanied by a music video, in April. She dropped the visual for "More to Lose" the same day the album came out.

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Something Beautiful, her ninth studio album, will be accompanied by a complete visual film that premieres on June 6 at the Tribeca Film Festival.

It comes two years after Cyrus released 2023's Endless Summer Vacation. The project earned Cyrus six Grammy nominations at the 2024 ceremony. She took home two — Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance — for her chart-topping single "Flowers."