LONDON — Bon Jovi will embark on their first tour in four years in 2026 – and it's more than just a victory lap.
In 2022 the singer Jon Bon Jovi I saw a doctor who said one of his vocal cords had atrophied. He underwent major surgery and has been undergoing extensive rehabilitation since then. These new shows will begin with four nights at Madison Square Garden in New York in July before heading to Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin and London are the result of all the work.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Wembley Stadium, with Bon Jovi wrapping up their “Forever” tour in September 2026, frontman Jon Bon Jovi discusses upcoming shows, his band and their latest album together, “Forever (Legendary Edition).”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BON JOVI: You know, there are a lot of hits here. But I think more than ever, I'm really in touch with this idea of gratitude and joy, this idea of this energy that happens between me and this audience. And it's been so long since I've done this that I can truly appreciate how much it means to me. And this is really the only motivation for me to want to do this further. It's just coming out and saying, “Touch it.” You know? It will be good.
BON JOVI: I agree with you. I agree. You know, this optimism and tribalism, but at the core there is joy, you know, the fact that brings you together.
BON JOVI: Well, it's home. I sleep in my own bed at night, which was an integral part of this equation, and I had to play there a few nights to get this started while I was walking home at night. And then we'll go and do it ( United Kingdom And Ireland show) and that's all. That's all for the year. I'll just put my feet back in the pool, you know, and slowly get in there, wait, and after I feel happy and well, we can talk about some work. But this should be about the fact that you don’t even take a suitcase. We're just going somewhere for the weekend.
BON JOVI: Really, very good. I might go tonight. I can say I woke up this morning at 7am and you're ready to talk and you're like, “Yeah, it just works.”
BON JOVI: Well, the truth is, here's a group of brothers who, at this point in their lives, might say, “We've got it. We're done. Good luck to you. We're going to go and do solo projects. We're going to go and join somebody else's band.” They still sat with me in the rehearsal room and said: “We will support you.” And how much more grateful can I be that in their darkest hours each of them said, “It’s not about the money, boss, let’s go.” And the connection just got bigger, deeper and stronger.
BON JOVI: It's amazing, everyone's contribution is unique. And from new member Everett Bradley to Phil X who just wants to play seven nights a week and doesn't care where he plays, this guy is nuts. If he could, he would actually play seven days a week. And to see him just say, “I'm here, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere else,” it's incredible.
BON JOVI: Well, the thing about the Forever album is that we were very proud of it and it coincided with the documentary and the 40th anniversary. When I wasn't physically able to, I thought we could reimagine the record and add some special features to it. Nowadays people know what features are. I learned this the hard way. But at the same time, I think they took a great record and made it better. And, you know, I called Robbie Williams. He was my first call. He said yes, and it became easier for me to call number two, three, four, seven, eight, nine, 10. Because at first it’s scary. You even call your dear friends and ask, “Hey, will you do this for me?” Each of them did it. I think you can feel the joy of the record and even just raised the bar.
BON JOVI: Oh, that's fantastic. I mean, I've looked up to him my whole life. E Street Band our The Beatles. They were only 25 miles from where I was as a child. You know, Highway 9 was outside my window. You know, these are my streets too. And it was amazing because he loved that song (“Hollow Man”). Even when it was a demo, he was like, “This is a really special song.” So when I called him about it instead of the obvious single, he said, “You know, yeah, I get it, I can do it.”
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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this report.
