Jon Bon Jovi Plans No-Repeat Setlists for 2026 Tour After Consulting Metallica Drummer

(L-R) Phil X, Hugh McDonald, David Bryan, Jon Bon Jovi, Tico Torres, John Shanks and Everett Bradley arrive for the "Bon Jovi Forever" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on June 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Duane Prokop / Stringer via Getty Images

Jon Bon Jovi will use a different setlist each night during his band's 2026 tour. He got the idea after talking with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. The frontman explained this in an interview with Planet Rock, as reported by NME.

"I was looking to Metallica. And I talked to Lars," said Jon Bon Jovi. "I said: 'So let me get this straight. If you're only doing 'Master Of Puppets' on one night and 'One' on one night, is the audience mad that they're not there [on one of the nights]?' And he goes: 'Nope. We have enough songs that it works.'"

This idea copies what Metallica did with their M72 tour. They played two completely different setlists on back-to-back nights in most cities. Jon Bon Jovi believes he has enough popular songs to do the same thing.

"[Lars] goes, 'And your catalog…' And I went, 'I'm digging that concept,'" he continued. "So 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."

Last month, the band announced stadium shows in the UK and Ireland, plus a New York residency for summer 2026. Fans wanted more tickets. Three performances at Wembley Stadium got added.

The tour will promote Forever (Reimagined), which was released in October 2024. That album includes work with Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Tedder, and Joe Elliott from Def Leppard.

Forever, the original version, came out in 2024 to mark the band's 40th year together. It came after the Disney+ documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.