Tobias Forge, the frontman of Ghost, recently responded to complaints about the band’s largely unchanged setlists. During an appearance on HardDrive, he clarified the group’s touring philosophy and explained why maintaining a consistent performance format remains essential when traveling from venue to venue.
He emphasized that dramatically altering the show each night would be unmanageable and incompatible with Ghost’s operational model. According to Forge, many fans in various regions have yet to experience the current tour, which makes preserving the full production important. “In the past and, and this happens to bands all the time, you get criticized because you don’t change the set just for that specific show, which is insane,” Forge said. “You want us to reconfigure the whole thing every night? We are simply not that kind of band; we don’t do that.”
He elaborated on the rationale for keeping the same structure across different locations. “So we figured that, well, a whole lot of people have not seen the show now, so we will continue this tour and just present the tour,” Forge continued. “‘Here’s the tour.’ I mean, just because people in Europe have seen it… If you live in Baltimore, you have not seen it, so you’re gonna get the same thing.”
Despite a stable foundation, Ghost has introduced modest levels of variation to sustain excitement for both audiences and performers. A few rotating spots in the setlist allow certain songs to switch in and out each night. “The only thing that we added was a little bit of circulating slots,” Forge explained. “Each and every night there’s a slot over here — I think it’s number four and number five, and then there’s one later where there’s a circulation of songs — it rotates. So it’s never really the same show. And we added more songs now, so that becomes a little bit of a roulette every night.”
He noted that these adjustments prevent creative stagnation and make the experience more dynamic for the musicians as well. “And that is for fans, yes, but that’s also for us, because that keeps you on your toe a little, and that keeps everybody fresh a little,” Forge said. “And if you wanna play yourself a little game, you don’t look at the setlist and you’re just sort of, like, ‘Oh, we’re playing that tonight. Oh, cool.’ And for me, mentally, that’s a little bit of a good thing.”
Ghost’s dedication to setlist consistency aligns with the band’s broader artistic identity. The group’s theatrical performances rely on elaborate staging, lighting design, and visual storytelling that do not lend themselves to nightly reinvention.
The 2025 “Skeletour” World Tour reflects this ethos by presenting a carefully constructed show fronted by Papa V Perpetua and featuring key selections from the album Skeleta, intertwined with established favorites. Fans have continued to encounter a blend of new music such as “Peacefield” and “Lachryma,” alongside staples like “Spirit,” “From the Pinnacle to the Pit,” and “Call Me Little Sunshine,” with several new tracks incorporated into the rotation.
In addition, Ghost has implemented policies that elevate the sense of immersion, including a no-phone rule that requires attendees to secure their devices in Yondr pouches. Forge believes this enhances the connection within the venue and supports the band’s focus on delivering a complete theatrical spectacle rather than relying on spontaneous setlist changes.
