People with faces painted like skulls entered the dark, hazy concert hall where choir music played in the background. The stage was curtained off with artfully torn black drapes, adding to the mystery and anticipation of the upcoming performance. As we took our seats, it felt as though a theatrical production was about to begin.
Ghost is known and loved worldwide for its arena rock approach to its shows. In fact, their devoted fans refer to Ghost’s concerts as rituals because of the elaborate costumes, stunning sets and lighting effects and overall very polished performance that still feels personal to the individuals in attendance.
All at once, the purple ambient lighting shut off, the crowd stood up to cheer and the opening strains of “Peacefield” - the first track from Skeletá, released in April 2025 - rang out from behind the curtain. All eyes turned towards the stage. The black drapes dropped to the floor, revealing the masked Nameless Ghouls on drums, keyboards, bass, guitars and background vocals, dressed in black attire with sparkling crystals highlighting their creepy costume wings and bones. Lead vocalist Tobias Forge, fully in character as Papa V Perpetua, joined the group onstage to enthusiastic applause.
Since the band’s beginning, the musicians in Ghost have generally maintained anonymity and performed in head-to-toe costumes, which has allowed them to be simply Nameless Ghouls. Over time, fans have figured out the true identities of some members, and the group itself has become more relaxed towards this. Tobias Forge has undergone a variety of different on-stage personas since 2008.
Ghost launched into “Lachryma” next, then “Spirit” from their third album, Meliora. During “Per Aspera Ad Inferi,” which is a Latin phrase that means approximately “through difficulty to hell,” the lyrics involving a desperate cry to Satan led to a dramatic set change. Stained glass windows depicting dark images appeared behind the band. This theme continued during "From the Pinnacle to the Pit,” “Call Me Little Sunshine” and “The Future is a Foreign Land.” A roll of thunder crashed and the complex overhead light rigging in the shape of an upside-down cross glowed red, adding to the intensity of the unfolding performance.
It’s worth noting that although Ghost has faced controversy and criticism over the use of religious themes, symbols and lyrics, the band has denied being Satanic or Christian. They’ve stated their ideas are for entertainment and are more of a commentary on how organized religions have shaped history. Indeed, when we heard phrases like “I am with you always” and “together as one,” it became apparent that these can mean whatever The Congregation (as the fans of Ghost are known) wants them to mean.
The show rocked on with hits “Devil Church,” “Cirice” and “Darkness at the Heart of My Love,” which led into the popular track from Skeletá called “Satanized.” Costume changes and brief banter with the crowd were worked into the set. There was so much to look at that at times we looked around the arena to see how everyone was enjoying this production, and the appreciation was visible on the faces of everyone present.
Speaking of being present, this performance was a phone-free experience. All fans had to lock their phones into Yondr pouches before the show and for the duration, to be used only in a separate designated room if necessary. We were pleasantly surprised at how much more focused this allowed everyone to be, instead of watching it all through a sea of people recording, taking selfies, flashing lights and posting to social media. Everything annoying about these omnipresent devices was gone.
Impressive guitar and keyboard musicianship was on display through the next few songs, “Stand By Him” and “Umbra.” “Year Zero,” with its distinctive chants of Beelzebub, featured bursts of flames on stage and the heat could be felt many rows back. The backdrop changed to starry skies for “He Is” and then an energetic set shift into the hit “Rats” had the crowd jumping up and down with enthusiasm.
After that, Forge took a moment to banter with The Congregation and blew kisses into the air to introduce “Kiss the Go-Goat.” “Mummy Dust” and “Monstrance Clock” concluded the main set, with fascinating visual art on the screen behind the band - denouncing greed and love of money with a spooky creature and a kraken - before jets of confetti shot out to the delight of everyone. Forge declared, “In our rain, everybody gets rich!”
The encore set of three songs (‘Mary On a Cross,” “Dance Macabre” and “Square Hammer”) was a fantastic way to end on a high note. Everyone was blown away by the sheer level of talent that had been shared during the Ritual. As we filed out of the arena, we thought about how Ghost’s holistic approach to embracing darkness along with light really resonates with their fans. None of us is simply good or bad - that isn’t how the human experience works. Instead, celebrating all sides leaves people feeling truly seen.
See more photos from Friday's show:
Fans of all ages were bursting with excitement during Ghost’s opening number, “Peacefield.”
Kristin Lockhart
Papa V Perpetua charms the crowd during “Spirit.”
Kristin Lockhart
