Ghost’s Tobias Forge Explains Why Setlists Are ‘Not Changed Every Night’

Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge has defended his band’s decision to perform a consistent setlist on their large-scale tours, stating that due to the massive, pre-programmed production: “We are simply not that kind of band; we don’t do that.” In a new interview, he explained that while the core show remains the same, he has built in “circulating slots” to keep the performance fresh for both the fans and the band.

Speaking with Lou Brutus of HardDrive radio, Forge addressed the criticism bands sometimes receive for not changing their setlist nightly, calling the expectation “insane.”

“You want us to reconfigure the whole thing every night? We are simply not that kind of band; we don’t do that,” he explained (via Blabbermouth). “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… If you live in Baltimore, you have not seen it, so you’re gonna get the same thing.”

He did, however, reveal how he builds in flexibility to avoid the show becoming stale.

“The only thing that we added was a little bit of circulating slots,” he said. “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. 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 also offered insight into his long-standing method for designing Ghost‘s ambitious stage productions, a process he has been passionate about for years.

“I have always been very interested in drawing stages. So, I basically got myself a — what do you call it? — squared paper, and I started drawing away,” he said. He explained that his goal for the “Skeletour” was to have the show “change and alter throughout the show… So you started in one form and gradually transformed into another.” He achieved this using massive, custom inflatables that can be deployed to dramatically alter the look of the stage mid-performance.

The “Skeletour,” which supported the band’s 2025 album Skeletá, was the band’s most ambitious production to date, featuring a stage designed to look like a “brutalist cathedral” and a colossal “Grucifix” lighting rig. Ghost is scheduled to bring this massive production back to North America for a new run of tour dates in early 2026.

Ghost 2026 North American Tour Dates

Jan. 21 — Orlando, Fla. @ Kia Center
Jan. 22 — Jacksonville, Fla. @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Jan. 24 — Knoxville, Tenn. @ Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Jan. 25 — Charlotte, N.C. @ Spectrum Center
Jan. 26 — Greenville, S.C. @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Jan. 28 — Uncasville, Ct. @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Jan. 30 — Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Centre
Jan. 31 — Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
Feb. 02 — Columbus, Ohio @ Nationwide Arena
Feb. 04 — Cincinnati, Ohio @ Heritage Bank Center
Feb. 05 — Peoria, Ill. @ Peoria Civic Center Arena
Feb. 07 — Tulsa, Okla. @ BOK Center
Feb. 10 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ Delta Center
Feb. 12 — Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane Arena
Feb. 14 — Vancouver, British Columbia @ Rogers Arena
Feb. 15 — Seattle, Wash. @ Climate Pledge Arena
Feb. 17 — Portland, Ore. @ Moda Center
Feb. 20 — Sacramento, Calif. @ Golden 1 Center
Feb. 21 — Anaheim, Calif. @ Honda Center
Feb. 23 — Inglewood, Calif. @ Intuit Dome