GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge has hinted that the Skeletour, launching Wednesday in Orlando, will feature an expanded setlist with live debuts of several deep cuts from "Skeleta" — the album that propelled the Swedish theatrical metal act to unprecedented commercial heights. The Billboard 200 chart-topping record has given the band their biggest success to date, powered by what Billboard described as the largest vinyl sales week for a hard rock album in the modern era.
Fan speculation is running at fever pitch across social media about which tracks will join the confirmed 22-song set. Album cuts like "The Eternal" and "Phantom Masquerade" have been among the most-requested by fans on forums and social media, though Forge has remained characteristically cryptic about his plans, offering only tantalizing hints in recent interviews.
The arena tour format allows for a more ambitious production than GHOST has ever mounted. Reports from crew members and venue staff suggest new staging elements including an expanded lighting rig with programmable LED panels, enhanced pyrotechnics that dwarf anything the band has used previously, and new costume pieces for both Forge's Papa V Perpetua character and the Nameless Ghouls. The production budget is reportedly the largest in the band's history, befitting their graduation to headlining arenas across North America.
GHOST's rise from underground Swedish occult rock act to arena-filling phenomenon has been one of metal's most remarkable success stories of the past decade. The Skeletour represents the culmination of that journey, offering fans a spectacular celebration of the band's catalog in the most ambitious staging of their career. With the opening night just days away, anticipation within the GHOST fanbase — one of metal's most passionate and dedicated communities — has reached an all-time high.