Swedish rock titans Ghost brought their massive “Skeletour” to a dramatic and historic close on Monday night, February 23, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The sold-out arena show marked the final scheduled performance for the band, capping off a cycle supporting their 2025 album, Skeletá.
To ensure an immersive atmosphere, the concert enforced a strict phone-free policy using Yondr pouches, forcing the thousands in attendance to focus entirely on the spectacle before them. The stage, designed to resemble a gothic cathedral complete with stained-glass visuals, set the scene for Papa V Perpetua (the current stage persona of mastermind Tobias Forge) to lead the congregation through hits like “Year Zero“, “Call Me Little Sunshine“, and the viral sensation “Mary on a Cross“.
In a move that stunned the audience and ignited immediate speculation about the band’s future, Papa V Perpetua broke a career-long tradition during the show. For the first time in Ghost history, he introduced the Nameless Ghouls by their real names and countries of origin. The band’s backing musicians have historically remained anonymous, hidden behind identical masks and uniforms.
The emotional finale in Los Angeles aligns with Tobias Forge‘s recent admission that he needs to step away from Ghost for the foreseeable future. Speaking on a recent episode of Full Metal Jackie‘s radio show, Forge was candid about his need to prioritize his personal life after 15 years of relentless grinding.
“All the above. Yeah. One, I have my family. Duh. Of course, everybody knows that. I’ve had two kids waiting at home with my wife for 15 years, and maybe that says something about me that it wasn’t a pushing enough factor during those years. Believe me, I felt bad, but I’ve definitely come to a point where not only do I need — I feel physically and mentally I need to be home, simply because they’re 17; they’re not gonna be around for an eon.”
Forge also used a vivid construction metaphor to explain the creative burnout he is currently experiencing regarding Ghost:
“And then the most acute factor here is the fact… Imagine you being a house builder, and you draw up houses, great ideas, but you’re also doing the permits and you’re also doing the tiles and you’re building everything and you’re sewing up all that [s**t] and putting it all together. I don’t simply have an idea. And I’m out of tiles. I’m out of wood. I just don’t have it. So the only way for me to come up with a new idea and get some new inspiration is to just step away. It is as simple as that.”
While Ghost is entering a hibernation period, Forge will remain active in the entertainment industry. He revealed he is deep into other creative endeavors, including film.
“But it doesn’t mean that I’m not doing anything. I have two film projects that I’m working on. Just before I left for tour, I was recording another album with another thing. So I have tons of stuff lined up for me [for] the coming years.”
However, fans hoping for a quick stopgap release, such as an EP, should temper their expectations. In a conversation with Adam Wallis of Global News, Forge shut down the idea of immediate new Ghost material.
“No. As of right now, there is no EP coming. Besides the [ongoing North American leg of the ‘Skeletour‘] tour that we’re doing now, we have nothing else planned. So the future is right now very open. Creatively, I have a lot to do. I’m actually recording currently, but it’s not a covers EP and it’s not a new Ghost record. So, I actually do not know exactly what and when anything will happen.”
For now, the Los Angeles ritual stands as the final chapter of this era.
Ghost – Los Angeles Setlist (Feb. 23, 2026)
- “Peacefield”
- “Lachryma”
- “Spirit”
- “From the Pinnacle to the Pit”
- “Majesty”
- “The Future Is a Foreign Land” (Bridge lyrics modified from “2024” to “2034”)
- “Devil Church”
- “Cirice”
- “Darkness at the Heart of My Love”
- “Satanized”
- “Satan Prayer”
- “Umbra”
- “Year Zero”
- “He Is”
- “Rats”
- “Kiss the Go-Goat”
- “Mummy Dust”
- “Monstrance Clock” (Each Nameless Ghoul introduced by name before the song)
Encore:
- “Mary on a Cross”
- “Dance Macabre”
- “Square Hammer”
