Ghost initiated London into their Skeletour, a macabre fantasy of theatrical proportions
Words by Paulina Sabina | April 21, 2025
Blasphemous nuns and children in death masks descended into London’s O2 Arena to take part in their latest ritual: Ghost’s Skeletour. The Swedish ghouls – under the command of their newly-unveiled leader, Papa V Perpetua – have crafted a macabre fantasy elevated by theatrics and mystery. As they introduced London to their Skeletá era, members of their Clergy surely left feeling reborn.
Being a phone-free experience, the event is enigmatic from the start. With their devices locked away, fans are forced to reckon with the spectacle before them. It is difficult to resist describing the spectacle that Ghost has curated for the Skeletour, but know that from the tantalizing beginning to the celebratory end, the show is a true feast of the senses.
As the opening notes to the unreleased ‘Peacefield’ begin and the Nameless Ghouls take the stage, the tension rises as Papa V Perpetua appears in his new mask, a silver chrome skull covering half of his face.
Tobias Forge prances swan-like across the stage, with a permanent wave of his hand and a skip in his step. He dances around his Ghouls, who are all dressed in a uniform of glitter skeletal bodysuits and bat wings. The newly-released ‘Lachryma’ has the crowd erupt into hysterics as Papa asks, “Are you ready to face the demon of hallucination? If you insist.”
What follows is two hours of the Rapture, as the sold-out crowd of 20,000 is taken on a trip from a devil-shrined cathedral to the depths of Hell. Followed by a rapturous blessing of ‘Faith’, a debut on the tour’s setlist, ‘Majesty’ sees Papa ascend into the air, crooning as he surveys his worshippers and floats above his Ghouls. The trembling riffs of ‘Cirice’ introduces Papa in a glitter iteration of his mask. He kneels beside a stage riser, which is fashioned like Count Orlok’s crypt, as the arms of his devoted followers grasp out toward him. The words “I can see through the scars inside you” feel even more intimate.
Shouts of “Blasphemy! Heresy! Save me!” erupt from the crowd during ‘Satanized’, the lead single from Skeletá. The crowd, not seeking salvation anytime soon, belts every word like a blasphemous prayer. The Black Sabbath-fused ‘Ritual’ heightens the palpable morbid romanticism in the air. ‘Year Zero’ and its chant-fueled chorus is the culmination of the Rapture, an irresistible experience that feels like you have been transported to the underworld. A searing guitar solo follows, and Papa gestures toward the display as if to say, “Let the Ghouls have their fun.”
The final act is a celebratory twist, as ‘Kiss the Go-Goat’ forces even the most stern member of the Clergy to dance. As we are guided into the encore, Papa has the Clergy’s entire devotion as they cheerfully follow their leader into the depths of Hell. The closing roar of ‘Square Hammer’ questions, “Are you ready to swear right here, right now, before the devil?” It may just be a resounding ‘Yes.’
The Skeletour is a submergence into the unknown, an initiation that, if you are able, must be experienced firsthand. This tour debuts Ghost in their prime, as Tobias Forge & Co. create a fantastical world of love, death and their glittering vision of the underworld that beckons with
every chord.
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