At Madison Square Garden, Nick Jonas reflected on his 21-year journey with type 1 diabetes, sharing how his diagnosis at 13 shaped his life and inspired his latest tour revisiting the ‘Burning Up’ setlist.
Nick Jonas has revisited the diagnosis that changed his adolescence, telling fans at Madison Square Garden that being told he had type 1 diabetes at 13 was among the hardest experiences of his life. The moment came as Jonas Brothers opened their “Burning Up Tour All Over Again” run in New York on Thursday, August 20, 2026, with Jonas seated at a piano and wearing a decorated medical ID around his neck, according to coverage from Republika and People.
Before performing “A Little Bit Longer”, the 33-year-old singer spoke about how he wrote the song as a way of processing the fear and uncertainty that came with the diagnosis. He described it as a kind of life journal and said that opening up about the illness helped him connect more deeply with other people facing their own struggles, according to People.
Jonas said he has now lived with type 1 diabetes for 21 years and imagined speaking to his younger self at 13 or 14. He said he would reassure that version of himself that life would keep improving and that his health would eventually get better, a message he framed as encouragement for anyone dealing with difficult circumstances.
The concert also marked the launch of a 45-city tour in which Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas revisited the original “Burning Up Tour” setlist alongside newer hits. Jonas has long spoken publicly about the condition, and past coverage from AS.com noted that he helped co-found Beyond Type 1 to raise awareness and support for people living with diabetes.
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