It’s Their Life: Bon Jovi Returns to the Road Following Jon Bon Jovi’s Vocal Cord Surgery

More than four years after their last outing and with their touring future in doubt, Bon Jovi will return to the road starting in July. A seven-date run that hits three international cities will kick off July 7.

The legendary rock n’ roll band’s ability to tour again had been in doubt, as lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi dealt with vocal cord issues. Following the conclusion of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band’s 2022 tour, he underwent reconstructive surgery on his vocal cords and then a yearslong rehabilitative process.

“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,” Jon Bon Jovi said in a statement. “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.”

He continued: “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!”

The Live Nation tour starts with four shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden before traveling to Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin and London to close at Wembley Stadium. The general onsale starts Oct. 31, with presales beginning Oct. 27.

Jon Bovi has been candid about his recovery, saying the band got together every month to rehearse to gauge his progress, but that until he felt he could confidently sing through a two-and-a-half-hour show, they weren’t hitting the road. “Day to day, I’m working hard on it,” he told Entertainment Tonight in 2024. “Nothing else matters until I work on getting better. It’s up to God at this point. I’ve done everything I can do. I won’t fake it … the legacy matters too much.”

Promoting the band’s 2024 four-part Hulu documentary, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, which documented the surgery, he said during the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour panel in February that year, “One of my cords was literally atrophied. So, my vocal cords, they’re supposed to look parallel. So, let’s pretend one of them looks as thick as my thumb and the other one is as thick as a pinky. So the strong one was pushing the weak one aside. And I wasn’t singing well, so my craft was being taken from me.”

There were positive indications along the way that his voice was on the mend, including in February 2024, when he was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year and sang robust versions of “Legendary” and (with Bruce Springsteen), “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and “Promised Land.”

The band’s latest release, Forever (Legendary Edition) comes out Friday (Oct. 24) and is a reimagining of its 2024 album recreated as duets with such artists as Springsteen, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Jason Isbell, Joe Elliott and Robbie Williams.

“This album is more than just a collection of collaborations, it is an album borne out of necessity,” Jon Bon Jovi said in a statement when announcing the album. “My vocal cord surgery and subsequent rehab was a well-documented journey that played out while releasing Forever in June 2024. I was singing well enough in the studio for the recording, but the vocal demands and rigors of touring were still out of reach for me. Without the ability to tour or promote an album we were all very proud of, I decided to call on some friends to help me in my time of need. All are great singers, artists, and also just great people. The result is an album with a new viewpoint and new spirit — a collaboration album that proves we all get by in this world with a little help from our friends.  I feel tremendous joy and gratitude releasing this album and I think it shows in the music.”

Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, visit the event’s website.