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Bon Jovi will be embarking on their first tour in four years in 2026 – and it’s more than just a victory tour.
singer in 2022 jon bon jovi Saw a doctor who said one of his vocal cords was getting damaged. He had major surgery and has since undergone extensive rehabilitation. These new shows – kick off with four nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden in July before moving to Edinburgh, Scotland; dublin and London – All actions have results.
In an interview with the Associated Press Wembley StadiumWhile Bon Jovi will kick off their “Forever” Tour in September 2026, frontman Jon Bon Jovi discusses upcoming shows, his band and their latest collaborative album, “Forever (Legendary Edition).”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
AP: What can fans expect from this tour?
Bon Jovi: It’s a lot of hits that you know about. But I think more than ever, I’m really in touch with the idea of gratitude and happiness and this idea of energy that happens between me and the audience. And since I did it I can really appreciate again how much it means to me. And that’s really the only motivation for me to want to do it more. It’s just going out there and saying, “Touch.” You know? That would be nice.
AP: I think we all want that.
Bon Jovi: I agree with you. I agree. You know, there’s that optimism and tribalism but with happiness as the underlying thing, you know, the fact that it brings you together.
AP: And you’re starting with five nights new york,
Bon Jovi: Well, this is home. I get to sleep in my own bed at night, which was such an integral part of the equation, that by the time I was going home at night, I would spend many nights playing there to begin with. And then we’ll go and do these (UK and Ireland shows) and that’ll be it. That’s all for the year. Just get my feet back in the pool, you know, and go there slowly, wait around, and when I get that happy and in good health we can talk about doing some work. But this is a must, don’t even bring a suitcase. We’re just going out for the weekend.
AP: How are you feeling?
Bon Jovi: Really, really good. I can go tonight. I can tell you I woke up at 7 o’clock this morning and you’re ready to talk and you’re like, “Yeah, it just works.”
AP: You mentioned how the band has supported you. Would you like to share it?
Bon Jovi: Well, the truth is, here’s a group of brothers who at this stage and stage of their lives can say, “We’ve made 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.” Even today he sat down with me in the rehearsal space and said, “We’ve got you.” And I couldn’t be more grateful that even in my toughest times, each of them said, “It’s not about the money, Boss, let’s go.” And this bond has become even bigger, deeper and stronger.
AP: You build that camaraderie after being together for so long, right?
Bon Jovi: It’s amazing, and each of their contributions have been unique. And from the newest member, Everett Bradley, to Phil X, who is a guy who wants to play seven nights a week, doesn’t care where he plays, that guy is crazy. If he had his way, he would literally play seven days a week. And to see him just go, “I’m here, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere else,” it’s incredible.
AP: And you have a new collaborative album – “Forever.”
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. While I wasn’t physically ready for it, I thought we could re-imagine the record by adding features to it. In today’s era, people know what the features are. I learned about it the hard way. But in doing so, I think they took a great record and made it better. And, you know, I called Robbie WilliamsThat was the first call I made. He said yes, which made it easy for me to call numbers two, three, four, seven, eight, nine, 10. Because at first, it’s challenging. You even call your dear friends and say, “Hey, will you do this for me?” Every one of them did this. I think the joy in the record is felt and even raised the bar.
AP: Bruce Springsteen is on the album. What was it like to collaborate?
Bon Jovi: Oh, it’s awesome. I mean, I’ve respected him my whole life. The E Street Band is our Beatles. They were just 25 miles from where I was as a kid. You know, Highway 9 was outside my window. You know, these are, these are my streets too. And so, it was cool because he loved that song (“Hollow Man”). Even when it was a demo, she said, “It’s a really special song.” So, when I called him out on it instead of the obvious solo, he said, “You know, yeah, I get it, I can do that.”
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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this report from New York.