Ghost Kick off 2025 Skeletour World Tour At Manchester’s AO Arena (RECAP)

We are entering a new era of Ghost, the young metal purist. Earlier this year, the band announced Tobias Forge, known professionally as Papa V Perpetua, as their new frontman, and we are just weeks away from their latest LP, Skeletá, their first studio album since 2022’s IMPERA. With the release date for the 10-track album set for April 25, the youthful metal veterans set off on their massive 2025 tour to support the upcoming project. The Skeletour World Tour has the band traveling the globe throughout the year, and their first stop went down on April 15 at Manchester’s AO Arena. The first stop on Ghost’s monstrous tour marks the band’s first live performance since 2023, and first with Papa V Perpetua at the lead. 

Ghost wasted no time letting fans know this is a new side of the band by kicking off the 21-song set with the world premiere of “Peacefield,” the unreleased opening track from Skeletá, and the live premiere of the album single “Lachryma.” It wasn’t all new material for Ghost as the band bounced between timeless classics, live debuts, and unearthed deep cuts. The band performed “Satanized” from the new album for the first time and premiered “Umbra,” a second unreleased tune from Skeletá. With premiering unreleased songs, Ghost also performed “The Future Is a Foreign Land” and “Darkness At The Heart of My Love” for the first time since each song was released. The band also pulled out classics like “Spirit,” “Majesty,” and “Monstrance Clock” for the first time since 2019. 

Of the eight projects Ghost visited throughout the setlist, their 2015 classic Meliora got the most love. Seven of the album’s ten songs were performed, including “Circle,” “Devil Church,” and “From The Pinnacle to the Pit.” The band also touched on their debut album, Opus Eponymous, with a performance of “Ritual.” Ghost wrapped things up with a three-song encore that included “Mary on a Cross,” “Dance Macabre,” and “Square Hammer.” 

With a new album right around the corner and a massive world tour underway, Ghost seems to be on top of the world right now. The band will be touring Europe until late May before heading to North America with a string of dates that will last until August. Ghost has stops in London, Madrid, Berlin, Paris, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Austin, just to name a few. You can check out Ghost’s complete 2025 schedule and the entire setlist from last night’s Manchester show below.