There are various options, all valid until we know something more (but at this rate I bet we'll know the 2025 dates before the remaining dates for 2024).
Bruce said the next 3 years we'll make us happy. This doesn't mean they have just one thing planned over that time span.
It all depends if a new album is in the cards for real. So far NOTHING hints at them recording new music (no, they haven't recorded anything in the past years), apart from what could easily be a joke from a Louder Sound's journalist.
Now, knowing the boyz I bet they all want to release some music, but release it also mean they have to tour with it. A complete album cycle would take AT LEAST 3 years, between the recording and the tour. This might clash with other plans they have.
We don't know what Covid took away from us and we don't know if right now they catched up. The SIT celebration surely was planned, as surely it wasn't supposed to happen during the SJ tour. Considering the SJ tour was supposed to happen in 2021 (I also remember Bruce saying it was supposed to be very short), they could have done the SIT celebration in 2022 and maybe 2023, with something new happening from 2024. Looking back at their history, it would have probably been a new album. With everything fucked up, we don't know if their plan will remain the same, mostly because they have a relatively small window to record something new.
They might have scrapped the idea of recording an album and went directly to the next step, who knows. But if they want to do it early next year then the most logical thing to do would be to start the album tour right in 2025. Which is not impossible (look at 2010), but do they have enough time to come up with a concept and make it work for a new stage setup? Unless Steve has already something in mind which he's sure it won't change I doubt it (it would also be weird to come up with the whole artwork and stuff before having recorded the songs).
Now, another likely scenario (or better, one that would make everything work) is a sort of LOTB tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary (I know they don't do that, but it could be an excuse) which would take place in 2025 ONLY, maybe with a new song in the set. Make it short, make it start later in the summer and they have all the time in the world to record the new album and, possibly, release it within the end of the year. The main problem is: we know they're touring stadiums. A stadium show's income is usually enormous, but so are the costs. Even if they keep the production at minimum (which would be weird considering the context) there are still a lot of expenses. Keeping it short: playing just 20/25 dates wouldn't justify the costs. Now, if they don't pay for new props and use mostly old stuff, they could get away with it by touring the new album in 2026 and 2027. Still, I don't think Rod would be too enthusiastic about the idea of earning less money.
At the end, we have the easiest scenario: no new album will be released until the end of 2026, with the next tour being a greatest hits tour which will last 2 years.
