With the North American leg of GHOST's Skeletour world tour launching January 21 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, new production details have surfaced that promise to make this the most ambitious staging in the band's theatrical history. The twenty-date arena run features enhanced pyrotechnics, a completely revamped lighting rig, and new theatrical stage elements befitting the dark vision of mastermind Tobias Forge, performing under his latest persona Papa V Perpetua.
The shows will enforce a strict no-phones policy, a decision that has generated both praise and controversy among fans. Forge has explained that the restriction is designed to create a fully immersive theatrical experience, allowing attendees to be present in the moment rather than watching through a screen. The Swedish band's live shows have evolved from intimate club rituals into full-scale arena spectacles, with each tour cycle introducing new narrative elements tied to GHOST's elaborate and ever-expanding fictional mythology.
The Skeletour follows the massive commercial success of GHOST's latest album "Skeletá," which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 86,000 equivalent units — a staggering achievement for a band rooted in heavy metal theatrics. Vinyl sales made up a significant portion of those first-week numbers, reflecting the passionate dedication of GHOST's collector-minded fanbase and their willingness to invest in physical media.
The tour runs through February 23 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, hitting major cities including Jacksonville, Charlotte, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago along the way. Each show is expected to run approximately two and a half hours, featuring a career-spanning setlist that draws from all of GHOST's studio albums while spotlighting new material from "Skeletá."
Forge has hinted that the Skeletour may represent a transitional moment for GHOST, noting in interviews that he plans to step away after the tour concludes to recharge both physically and mentally before charting the next creative chapter of the project that has consumed his life for over a decade.