TL;DR
- Fans celebrated the 20th anniversary of ‘Hannah Montana’ with themed watch parties.
- Miley Cyrus returned to her roots in the anniversary special.
- The show remains a nostalgic favorite for many millennials.
- Attendees dressed in sequins and cowboy boots to honor the show.
- Cyrus reflected on the show’s impact in bringing people together.
LOS ANGELES — There’s no official test for being a superfan, but if you were at the Nickel Mine sports bar this week, you’d think there was one. Nostalgic “Hannah Montana” viewers were eager to prove their knowledge as they belted out old Miley Cyrus tunes and danced to her iconic “Hoedown Throwdown.” “Who is Miley Stewart’s brother?” asked bartender “Mannah Gaytana,” sporting a fabulous blond wig inspired by Cyrus’ Disney Channel alter ego. The correct answer, “Jackson,” earned a round of free shots and cheers from fellow patrons. Talk about a party!
This bar was just one of dozens nationwide hosting viewing parties for the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special,” which debuted on Disney+ this week. The Disney Channel sitcom, which ran from 2006 to 2011, was a cultural phenomenon, with Cyrus’ pop star persona morphing into a real-life sensation. These in-person celebrations offered fans a rare chance to reunite and reminisce about their childhood love for the show, which aired in a time before social media ruled our lives. “Kids used to go to school just knowing everyone else watched ‘Hannah Montana’ last night,” said Ashley Spencer, author of “Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire.”
Spencer noted, “There’s really nothing like it today,” and she’s right. The special leaned heavily into the nostalgia, with Cyrus, now 33, revisiting her Disney Channel roots — complete with the iconic blond bangs — as she toured the old set and pulled out outfits from her once-iconic rotating closet. “We thought she was so confident, and we wanted to emulate that,” said Betaneya Tammerat, 23, reflecting on how much the character meant to her. “This 20th anniversary just reminds me how special she really was to not just me, but so many others.”
Angelica Breton, 28, reminisced about how the show shaped her childhood, even admitting that her closet included clothes from the “Hannah Montana” Walmart fashion line. “It was a beautiful part of my life, just watching ‘Hannah Montana’ all the time,” she said, adding that she still blasts the soundtrack while cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway.
Spencer highlighted the show’s unique appeal, stating, “You have someone in Miley Cyrus and Miley Stewart who is the girl next door, who feels like she could be your best friend, who you could confide your secrets in and grow up alongside.” It’s this blend of relatability and aspiration that made the show such a hit.
The popularity of early-2000s shows like “Lizzie McGuire” and “That’s So Raven” paved the way for “Hannah Montana,” which combined those elements into a powerhouse. Cyrus’ success set the stage for many Disney stars to follow, including Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. “It was really lightning in a bottle in a lot of ways,” Spencer mused. “A mix of timing and talent and Disney finally recognizing they had all the tools to create a worldwide hit.”
As the special aired on the bar’s many TV screens, viewers wandered in wearing sparkling sequins and cowboy boots, paying homage to “Hannah Montana’s” Southern roots. They sipped themed cocktails like the “Sweet Niblets Margarita” and “Party in the U.S.A. Mule,” while belting out some of the biggest hits from the show. The energy was electric as they sang along to Cyrus’ performances of “This Is the Life” and “The Climb,” and gasped when she confirmed she dated fellow Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse back in the day.
In the anniversary special, Cyrus expressed pride in how the show brought people together. “I used to think of Hannah as something separate from myself. I would think of [her] as a character, even though it was me,” she said. “And what I’m loving about this special is that it’s my kind of reclaiming, of merging Hannah and Miley together.” It’s a beautiful reminder of how a character can shape lives and create lasting connections. So, here’s to Hannah Montana — a true icon of our childhoods!