Ghost’s 2025 Tour to Implement a Strict No-Phone Policy

Ghost’s 2025 Tour to Implement a Strict No-Phone Policy

Tobias Forge, the mastermind behind the Swedish rock band Ghost, has announced that their highly anticipated 2025 world tour will be a completely phone-free experience. In a recent interview with Audacy, Forge shared his reasoning behind the decision, emphasizing a growing sense of disconnection at live concerts due to excessive phone use.

“If you have 10,000 people at a concert and 8,000 of them are holding a phone, there’s something deeply disconnected,” Forge remarked. He explained that concerts should foster a real-time connection between the band and the audience, an element that is lost when people are focused on recording rather than experiencing the moment.

The idea was first met with skepticism, particularly from his 16-year-old daughter. “She was very, very skeptical of this idea,” Forge admitted. “She said, ‘No one’s gonna buy a ticket.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I have no idea what people [will do].’” However, Forge is willing to take the risk, viewing it as an experiment in redefining the modern concert experience.

Enforcing the No-Phone Policy

To implement this policy, attendees will be required to place their phones in Yondr pouches—special locking cases designed to remain sealed during the concert. If someone needs to use their phone, they can exit the main showroom and unlock their pouch in designated areas such as the lobby. This method, previously used by artists like Jack White during his 2018 Boarding House Reach tour, ensures that fans remain fully immersed in the live performance.

A Shift in Concert Culture

Forge’s stance is not an outright rejection of social media. He acknowledges the vital role platforms like MySpace played in Ghost’s early success. However, he draws a distinction between online promotion and the live experience itself. “I’m not saying that all social media is bad,” he clarified. “But when it comes to the actual live show, my calling, my reason for being there is the connection between myself and everybody that I brought with me. That experience is completely devalued if everybody’s just filming.”

There is an undeniable promotional advantage to allowing concert footage to spread on social media, as Forge himself concedes. “The whole thing in the business is, basically, ‘Yeah, we want people to film because we want people to see the show, and that will sell more tickets.’ Fine. I understand that there’s a promotional tool with social media,” he said. However, he remains firm in his belief that removing phones from the equation will enhance the concert experience.

The Live Music Experience: Presence Over Documentation

While many fans enjoy capturing videos to relive the memories later, Forge argues that constantly filming can detract from the immersive nature of a live performance. Concerts are meant to be experienced in the moment, and staring through a screen for the majority of a show may prevent attendees from truly connecting with the music and the atmosphere around them.

The Skeletour world tour kicks off on April 15 at the AO Arena in Manchester and will continue through September with dates across Europe and North America. With this bold move, Ghost aims to redefine the concert-going experience, encouraging fans to be fully present and engaged in the raw energy of live music.