Jon Bon Jovi made what was arguably the most unexpected appearance at Ultra Music Festival 2024 in Miami over the weekend, performing with trance legend Armin van Buuren during van Buuren’s Sunday night (March 24) mainstage festival set.
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Bon Jovi arrived onstage in jeans, a white t-shirt, sneakers and sunglasses, jumping up and down alongside Van Buuren while the producer unveiled his remix of the 1992 Bon Jovi classic “Keep The Faith.” Bon Jovi then climbed up on the decks to sing along with the edit, for which van Buuren added a kickdrum thump to the song’s classic “everybody needs somebody to love” build.
“Ultra make some noise for this legend Mr. Jon Bon Jovi!” van Buuren yelled into the mic as the song came to its climax, with van Buuren outfitting the original with shimmery trance elements and turning the dial all the way up on the chorus as pyro shot from the stage during the climax. A fan in the audience caught video of the moment, with Van Buuren also sharing footage on his Instagram stories.
“It’s an incredible honor to remix this track and to share the stage with Jon Bon Jovi, as I’ve been a massive fan for years,” van Buuren says in a statement. “This track is different from anything I’ve ever released before, and no better place to first share it with you all than on the Ultra mainstage.”
“Keep The Faith” spent 16 weeks on the Hot 100 in the fall of 1992, peaking at No. 29. It’s a busy time for the Bon Jovi frontman, with the band preparing for the release of its 16th studio album, Forever, coming June 9. A docuseries about the band, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, will debut on Hulu April 26 in conjunction with the New Jersey band’s 40th anniversary.
Ultra may be one of the only live appearances in the cards for the iconic Bon Jovi frontman, 61, in the near future, as he is still recovering from a 2022 vocal chord surgery and recently said that he’s not yet sure about touring behind Forever.
“I don’t know about a tour,” Bon Jovi told Mix 104.1 Boston earlier this month. “It is my desire to do a tour next year, but I’m just still recovering from a major surgery.”
