In a candid interview with Planet Rock’s Ian Danter, Jon Bon Jovi revealed a fresh setlist strategy for Bon Jovi’s upcoming 2026 “Forever Tour”—inspired by Metallica and their record-breaking “M72 World Tour.”
When asked if Bon Jovi will perform “in the round,” Jon replied: “No. That much I think I know. I’ve seen a couple of diagrams [of the stage] that they’d like to go and build.” He then explained how a conversation with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich shaped his thinking: “I said, ‘So let me get this straight. If you’re only doing “Master of Puppets” one night and “One” the next night, is the audience mad that they’re not there?’ And he goes, ‘Nope. We have enough songs that it works.’ … I went, ‘I’m digging that concept.’”
Jon added: “Not that we’re gonna do that, but I have enough songs and enough hits, I could do two separate entire shows and have hits on both sides. So I’m having a lot of fun putting together shows that are multiple-night kind of shows.”
This creative shift comes as Bon Jovi returns to touring after Jon’s vocal cord surgery in 2022. The band launched their comeback with the 2024 album Forever and will now hit arenas in 2026—starting with multiple nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Beyond setlists, Jon stressed the emotional gravity of the comeback: “I’m really in touch with the idea of gratitude and joy… this idea of this energy that happens between me and that audience.”
For Bon Jovi fans, the message is clear: the show may look familiar, but the mindset has shifted. With one eye on Metallica’s blueprint and the other on his own legacy, Jon Bon Jovi is crafting more than a tour—he’s curating an experience.
