Tobias Forge says that Ghost is “technically” his solo project.
Talking to Rolling Stone UK, the Swedish singer describes his job within the band as a “group effort”. He operates as their lead songwriter and frontman, leading them in papal guise as one of numerous “Papa” characters.
“If you want to be super pragmatic, I’m technically a solo artist,” says Forge. “I don’t have to think in terms of a group, but everybody needs to understand that my job is a group effort…
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“We’re a group working together, but practically, if the label is asking Ghost to make a record, they don’t call a group of people — they will call me because it’s my responsibility. So, as a creator and a writer, I don’t think that there is such a thing as an end until the actual end.”
Forge formed Ghost in Linköping in 2006. He worked anonymously until 2017, when a lawsuit from four of the band’s former “nameless ghouls” lifted the lid on his identity. During a recent interview with Planet Rock, he revealed the difficulties of keeping himself nameless and faceless for so long.
“It did make life easier,” he said of being revealed as the man behind Ghost. “Because, before that, we had to put in a lot of extra effort in order for me to not be visible. And it did create a few image-keeping upsides but a lot of practical downsides. It was just uncomfortable. It made people feel uncomfortable. It made for a lot of misunderstandings and a lot of… it was just making life hard.”
Ghost will put out their new album, Skeletá, on April 25 via Loma Vista. Lead single Satanized is now streaming. They’ll promote the release with a six-month world tour that starts in Manchester, UK, on April 15. See all dates and details below.
Ghost 2025 tour dates:
UK:
Apr 15: Manchester AO Arena
Apr 16: Glasgow OVO Hydro
Apr 19: London The O2
Apr 20: Birmingham Utilita Arena
Europe:
Apr 22: Antwerp Sportpaleis, Belgium
Apr 23: Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
Apr 24: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Apr 26: Lyon LDLC Arena, France
Apr 27: Toulouse Zenith Metropole, France
Apr 29: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal
Apr 30: Madrid Palacio Vistalegre, Spain
May 03: Zurich AG Hallenstadion, Switzerland
May 04: Milan Unipol Forum, Italy
May 07: Berlin Uber Arena, Germany
May 08: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
May 10: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
May 11: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
May 13: Paris Accor Arena, France
May 14: Oberhausen Rudolph Weber Arena, Germany
May 15: Hannover ZAG Arena, Germany
May 17: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
May 20: Tampere Nokia Arena, Finland
May 22: Linköping Saab Arena, Sweden
May 23: Sandviken Göransson Arena, Sweden
May 24: Oslo Spektrum, Norway
USA:
Jul 09: Baltimore CFG Bank Arena, MD
Jul 11: Atlanta State Farm Arena, GA
Jul 12: Tampa Amalie Arena, FL
Jul 13: Miami Kaseya Center, FL
Jul 15: Raleigh PNC Arena, NC
Jul 17: Cleveland Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, OH
Jul 18: Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena, PA
Jul 19: Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center, PA
Jul 21: Boston TD Garden, MA
Jul 22: New York Madison Square Garden, NY
Jul 24: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
Jul 25: Louisville KFC Yum! Center, KY
Jul 26: Nashville Bridgestone Arena, TN
Jul 28: Grand Rapids Van Andel Arena, MI
Jul 29: Milwaukee Fiserv Forum, WI
Jul 30: St Louis Enterprise Center, MO
Aug 01: Rosemont Allstate Arena, IL
Aug 02: Saint Paul Xcel Energy Center, MN
Aug 03: Omaha CHI Health Center, NE
Aug 05: Kansas City T-Mobile Center, MO
Aug 07: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Aug 09: Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, NV
Aug 10: San Diego Viejas Arena, CA
Aug 11: Phoenix Footprint Center, AZ
Aug 14: Austin Moody Center ATX, TX
Aug 15: Fort Worth Dickies Arena, TX
Aug 16: Houston Toyota Center, TX
Mexico:
Sep 24: Mexico City Palacio De Los Deportes
