Miley Cyrus’ recently debuted bangs have fans buzzing — as it might be a subtle wink to Hannah Montana’s 20th anniversary.
The “Flowers” singer, 33, debuted her new hairstyle while attending the 37th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on Saturday, January 3, and fans immediately clocked the resemblance to her Disney Channel days. As it turns out, that was no coincidence.
While celebrating her Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award, she teased what’s to come for the beloved Disney Channel series’ upcoming 20th anniversary. Speaking with Variety on the red carpet, the former child star confirmed that plans are already in motion.
“Absolutely. We’re working hard on them,” Miley shared when asked if there was anything special planned for the milestone anniversary. When pressed for details, she kept things playful, adding, “I can’t tell you,” before cheekily pointing to her new look: “You see the bangs.”
The original series, which debuted in 2006 and ran for four seasons, followed Miley Stewart, a teenager secretly living a double life as pop star Hannah Montana. The franchise later expanded with Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009 and became a defining piece of Disney Channel history — and Miley’s career.
Miley has made it clear that the anniversary holds deep meaning for her. In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio, she said she wanted to do something “special” to honor the show that launched her into superstardom.
“I want to design something really, really special for it because it really was the beginning of all of this that now sits here today. Without Hannah, there really wouldn’t be this kind of… this me,” she explained.
Elsewhere in the interview, Miley reflected on how her relationship with the character — and fans — has evolved over time.
“It’s so crazy to think, too, that I started as a character that I thought was going to be impossible to shed,” she said. “And now that’s something that when I walk into a space, it’s looked at as this sense of nostalgia or something that you have from your childhood, but I’ve now been as kind of integrated into everyone’s life as the character itself. So that’s exciting to get to celebrate that.”
The pop star echoed similar sentiments in 2024 while accepting her Disney Legend award, directly acknowledging the role that made her a household name. “A little bit of everything has changed … but at the same time, nothing has changed at all, I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana,” she said during her speech.
As for whether the celebration could include a reboot? Miley has been clear about where she stands. In a December 3 interview with Billboard, she shut down the idea of recasting the iconic role.
“I don’t know if there is a new Hannah,” Miley admitted. “This is the only Hannah.”
While Miley hasn’t revealed exactly what the anniversary celebration will look like, she has shared why honoring the show’s legacy feels so important.
“For me, I love looking back at the growth for both of us because it’s very rare that someone grows up with their fanbase,” she explained. “When I was 15 years old, I’d look out and see 15-year-olds and now I’m a grown woman, I look out and see other grown people. So, what I want to do is honor the longevity of the relationship that we built.”
Ultimately, Miley believes Hannah Montana became something far bigger than fiction.
“Hannah Montana, it outgrew the fantasy,” she continued. “It became the reality of my life. Something that was about a regular girl getting to have this extraordinary life by being someone that she’s not and then turning my life and having this life because of being who I really am and authenticity. So getting to celebrate that—20 years is a long time.”
