Rock on the Wire: Ghost’s “Skeletour” – Night 1 (Cleveland, OH)

On July 17, 2025, Ghost brought their “Skeletour World Tour” to Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, for a spectacular and theatrical performance. The band, fronted by the newly debuted Papa V Perpetua, delivered a two-hour show (with no opening act) packed with visual grandeur and a diverse setlist.

The evening began with a shroud of mystery, as Gregorian chants set an eerie tone before a dramatic curtain drop revealed the band and launched into “Peacefield” and “Lachryma,” both from their new album Skeletá. The stage itself was a spectacle, designed to resemble a gothic cathedral with towering arches, faux stained glass, and a glowing inverted cross (the Grucifix) at its center.

Ghost’s set blended new material with fan favorites, drawing heavily from their Meliora album (which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year) with tracks like “Spirit,” “Cirice,” and “He Is.” Rarities such as “Elizabeth” (played for the first time since 2017) were also included, alongside tracks from Impera, Infestissumam, and Prequelle. The show featured the live debuts of new songs from Skeletá, as well as “The Future Is a Foreign Land” from their Rite Here Rite Now soundtrack.

True to Ghost’s reputation, the performance was a sensory feast. Pyrotechnics, elaborate lighting, and dynamic video projections transformed the arena, creating an immersive experience. Papa V Perpetua commanded the stage with theatrical flair, embodying the band’s blend of ominous and fabulous. Memorable moments included bursts of confetti, Papa levitating during a song, and the overall communal energy of the crowd, who often sang along to every one of the 22 songs performed.

The show had very good pacing and precision, showcasing a band that has fully embraced its arena-bothering status. The set was capped off by a powerful encore of “Mary on a Cross”, “Dance Macabre”, and “Square Hammer”.

More to note:

The concert was a “phone free show”, thanks to the popular yondr pouches (depicted below). At Rocket Arena, if you entered in through the main entrance, the arena gave you various photo opportunities to take a flick to remember your night (top/main article picture) without bringing your device, yes, smart watches included, into the event space.

Before you entered the building, a yondr helper (that’s what I’m calling them) wrote your seating information on a provided reference card, since all these arenas are “mobile ticketing only” these days – and after you went through the metal detectors and up the stairs, they had more yondr helpers at tables helping you secure your devices in pouches, and giving them to you on lanyards till the end of the evening (yes, you get the keep them on your person).

Overall, it was an interesting experience. There was occasionally a panic every so often when I didn’t feel my phone in my pocket, and thought I left it in the car or something, but honestly, the most annoying part – Since I was preoccupied writing this anyway – was just not being able to check the time. Like, in writing these articles, I want to make sure I highlight the big moments, such as the intro & fan favorite encore – and it was hard to schedule bathroom breaks before 8pm (when they started) and 9:30 (near the scheduled end of the set) when there’s now no clock in the main event area. Looks like I’m going to have to invest in a cheap watch before Night two!

Fun Fact About the Arena:

This Arena is on it’s fourth name as of this year – Gund Arena (1994-2005), Quicken Loans Arena (2006-2017, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (2018-2024), and now Rocket Arena (2025- ), with little in the actual seating bowl changing. They did do massive upgrades on the Concourse and exterior in 2019.