Bon Jovi have responded to rumours of the band’s upcoming stadium shows being a farewell tour.
The band announced a run of UK and Ireland stadium shows and a New York residency for the summer of 2026 last week (October 22).
These will be the biggest live shows since Jon Bon Jovi had surgery on his vocal cords in 2022, a process which at one point he said left him uncertain that he would ever be able to tour again.
Now, the band have responded to rumours that the tour would be their last.
Speaking on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, which you can listen to below, Jon Bon Jovi confirmed he hoped the tour wouldn’t be a farewell one.
He said: “I’ve always been a pretty resilient guy, and I’ve always had a will. My wife had said…‘he would will it into existence’. I would just go and just plough through that field until I got to the other side. When I couldn’t [tour], because I physically couldn’t, that was disheartening, but I didn’t want to not do it. I’m not doing this for the applause, I’m not doing it for the money, I’m not doing it for the fame.
“I’ve had enough of all of it. But I would like to feel that joy and the resonance, even if it were only one last time. I don’t think this is anywhere near a farewell tour or anything like that, but if it were, you could trust that these few shows that I’ve announced are going to be joy filled because this gratitude, humility, opportunity to go out there and do it again is all heartfelt.”
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers will be hitting the road in July 2026, playing four nights at the iconic Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, before heading across the pond for a trio of major shows in the UK and Ireland.
They will play at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on August 28, followed by Croke Park on Dublin on August 30 and finally a giant show at London’s Wembley Stadium on September 4.
The general sale begins at 9am local time on October 31 – you will be able to find your UK/Ireland tickets here and US tickets here.
Bon Jovi will play:
JULY 2026
07 – New York, Madison Square Garden
09 – New York, Madison Square Garden
12 – New York, Madison Square Garden
14 – New York, Madison Square Garden
AUGUST 2026
28 – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
30 – Dublin, Croke Park
SEPTEMBER 2026
04 – London, Wembley Stadium
Speaking about the tour, Jon Bon Jovi added: “There is a lot of joy in this announcement – joy that we can share these nights together with our amazing fans and joy that the band can be together.”
“I am lucky enough to be able to hold a light out to the audience each night and stand in their reflection for a tremendous collective experience – I get to stand in the WE of our concerts. And I’ve spoken extensively on my gratitude but I will say it again, I’m deeply grateful that the fans and the brotherhood of this band have been patient and allowed me the time needed to get healthy and prepare for touring. I’m ready and excited!”
Last year, Bon Jovi released their 16th album ‘Forever’, a celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary and a follow-on from the Disney+ documentary film Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.
Around the release of ‘Forever’, Jon Bon Jovi told NME about his hesitancy to return to the stage. “I’m still not confident I could do two-and-a-half hours a night, four days a week and I won’t book a gig until I’ve done that on a rehearsal level,” said Bon Jovi. “At this moment in time, we’re rehearsing once a month just to see the progress. I’m not there yet and it blows.”
Last week (October 24), the band released a new version of ‘Forever’ featuring reinterpretations of the album’s songs in collaboration with a list of guests that includes Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Tedder, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and more. Pre-order the album here.
