GHOST's North American Skeletour is drawing rave reviews following its January 21 launch at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Tobias Forge's latest theatrical production represents the most ambitious staging in the band's history, featuring completely revamped set design, enhanced pyrotechnics, and a narrative structure that weaves dramatic storytelling through the performance — transforming a concert into something closer to a theatrical event.
The setlist draws from across the band's catalog, spanning from early "Opus Eponymous" cuts through "Skeletá," the band's 2025 album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 86,000 first-week units — a historic achievement for a hard rock album. Papa V Perpetua, Forge's latest character iteration introduced in February 2025, commands the stage with a gravitas and humor that early social media reports describe as the most compelling Papa incarnation yet.
Highlights from the Orlando show include the live debut of the band's PET SHOP BOYS "It's a Sin" cover, which has been a fan-requested deep cut since the band first performed it in select European shows. The pyrotechnic sequences during "Year Zero" and "Cirice" have been described as jaw-dropping, with coordinated flame effects and theatrical lighting creating moments of genuine spectacle.
Several remaining dates on the arena run through mid-March have already sold out, confirming GHOST's position as modern metal's biggest arena act and one of the few heavy bands capable of filling 15,000+ capacity venues on a nightly basis. The production costs for the Skeletour are reportedly the band's highest to date, reflecting Forge's insistence that every show must feel like an event rather than merely a concert. Additional North American dates are rumored to be in discussion to meet demand.