Jon Bon Jovi says he took inspiration and advice from Metallica while planning his band’s 2026 world tour.
The Bon Jovi frontman recently revealed that a conversation with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich helped shape his approach to the upcoming shows, which will include a UK and Ireland stadium run and a New York residency next summer.
“I was looking to Metallica. And I talked to Lars,” Bon Jovi told Planet Rock. “I said, ‘So let me get this straight. If you’re only doing Master of Puppets on one night and One on another, is the audience mad that they’re not there [for both]?’ And he goes, ‘Nope. We have enough songs that it works.’”
Metallica’s ongoing M72 tour features two unique “no repeat” setlists over consecutive nights in most cities—a format Bon Jovi is now considering.
“[Lars] goes, ‘And your catalog…’ And I went, ‘I’m digging that concept,’” Bon Jovi continued. “Not that we’re gonna do exactly that, but I have enough songs and enough hits to do two completely different shows. So I’m having a lot of fun putting together sets that work across multiple nights.”
The upcoming tour follows the release of Forever (Reimagined), a new version of the band’s 16th studio album, featuring collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Tedder, and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott.
The original Forever album, released last year, marked Bon Jovi’s 40th anniversary and coincided with the Disney+ documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.
Meanwhile, Metallica’s M72 world tour continues into 2026.