Ghost’s Tobias Forge Recounts Onstage Panic Attack: ‘Stop! Get The Mask Off!’

In a revealing new interview, Ghost leader Tobias Forge has opened up about a terrifying panic attack he experienced mid-show in 2015, an incident triggered by claustrophobia and the fear of being trapped, which forced him to halt the performance and “get everything off.”

Speaking with Metal Hammer, Forge detailed the moment the panic hit during a concert at Leeds Beckett University in December 2015. He explained that the full-face masks he wore as Papa Emeritus had caused him a developing claustrophobia.

“Throughout my years in in masks, I’ve developed a not comfortable claustrophobia,” he explained. “It’s the idea of having something over your throat, being completely engulfed, completely enclosed.”

He recalled being told before the show that there was only one way in and out of the venue, a fact that didn’t register until midway through their set.

“It had never really happened to me before, but I was walking into the venue, and this is, this is very close to the Bataclan sh**ting,” he says. “We went into the venue, and it was raining outside, big surprise, absolutely pis*ing down. I was told there was only one entrance into the venue; you had to walk in on the right side of the stage, past the stage, and then into a backstage area.

“I didn’t think of it until during the show, when all of a sudden I was like, ‘I need to know where the door is… I can’t get to the door. Stop! Stop! Get the mask off!’ I had to get everything off. Restart the whole thing,” Forge recounted.

It turned out there was another exit, which security then showed him. The incident, however, established a crucial pre-show ritual for him moving forward.

“There was absolutely a way out. And then it became a thing [for future shows]: I need to know where the door out is. I need to know how I get out. As long as I know how to get out, we’re good,” he stated.

Forge assured that he has performed “hundreds of shows” since without a similar incident and knows how to manage the feeling now. “It’s definitely in the back of your head, that that can happen, but it’s just a panic attack. It’s nothing dangerous,” he said. He has also previously noted that his current Papa V Perpetua mask covers less of his face, specifically leaving his mouth and throat area more open, likely as a measure to mitigate the claustrophobia.

The interview comes as Ghost prepares to launch a new North American leg of their “Skeletour” in early 2026, supporting their acclaimed album Skeletá.

Ghost “Skeletour” – 2026 North American Tour Dates:

• • January 21 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center
• • January 22 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
• • January 24 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
• • January 25 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
• • January 26 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
• • January 28 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
• • January 30 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
• • January 31 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
• • February 2 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
• • February 4 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center
• • February 5 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center Arena
• • February 7 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
• • February 10 – Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center
• • February 12 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
• • February 14 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
• • February 15 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
• • February 17 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
• • February 20 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
• • February 21 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
• • February 23 – Inglewood, CA – Intuit Dome