Ghost’s SKELETOUR World Tour Ignites Seattle: Papa V Perpetua Unleashes Arena Ritual at Climate Pledge Arena
SEATTLE (February 15, 2026) – For a band that built its early Northwest following in clubs like El Corazon, Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena felt like both a coronation and a communion. Ghost brought its SKELETOUR WORLD TOUR to a sold-out arena, transforming the sleek Seattle venue into a towering cathedral of smoke, light and sacrament.
Over the years, the Swedish theatrical rock outfit has steadily climbed the local venue ladder, from intimate theaters to amphitheaters, but this production marked their most ambitious Seattle staging yet and a return to the Climate Pledge Arena. Fans who’ve traveled abroad for the band’s massive European festival sets finally got a comparable spectacle at home.
The stage design was monumental and meticulously layered. Multiple risers gave the Nameless Ghouls commanding perches, while enormous backdrops shifted throughout the night, stark black one moment, an ornate stained-glass cathedral the next. Dominating it all was an illuminated inverted cross lighting rig suspended overhead, tilting and descending at dramatic angles. Bathed in white, blue and blood-red hues, it cast an almost liturgical glow over the 17,000 + faithful below.
Strategic CO₂ plumes erupted in rhythmic bursts, punctuating riffs and choruses like exclamation points in a sermon. The effect wasn’t just theatrical, it reinforced what Ghost has always framed its concerts as: ritual.
The congregation understood the assignment. Robed “clergy” members roamed the concourse. Faces were painted in skeletal homage to past Papas. Others donned variations of papal miters, glittering jackets or full-on ghoul regalia. In a rare and increasingly refreshing move, the sea of glowing cell phone screens was absent. This was a device-free show; phones were sealed in Yondr pouches, forcing full immersion. The result was palpable, eye contact instead of Instagram, communal singing instead of recording. The energy felt focused and unified.
Notably, there was no opening act. No warm-up sermon. Just Ghost.
The 22-song set traversed the band’s catalog, balancing newer material from Skeletá with cornerstone anthems that helped elevate them from cult curiosity to arena headliners. Longtime devotees were rewarded alongside newer converts, the pacing carefully designed to ebb and surge.
At the center stood Tobias Forge in his latest incarnation, Papa V Perpetua. Where previous personas often leaned heavily into exaggerated theatricality, from the imperious early Papas to the mischievous charm of Cardinal Copia, Papa V presents a more restrained, controlled presence. The half-mask design allows greater vocal freedom, and Forge’s singing reflected that: clearer highs, more sustained phrasing, and a confidence that prioritized musicianship over caricature.
Still, there was an intriguing tonal shift. The performance carried a weight that felt intentional. During “The Future Is a Foreign Land,” a contemplative hush settled over the arena before swelling into a unifying chorus. Whether reflecting broader global anxieties or simply the narrative arc of the current album cycle, the moment resonated. It was less wink-and-nod spectacle, more pointed meditation.
That gravity didn’t dampen the celebration. Crowd reactions to established favorites were thunderous, the arena cheering in unison. The encore sealed the evening with undeniable arena-ready triumph: “Mary on a Cross,” “Dance Macabre,” and the ever-commanding “Square Hammer” turned the ritual into a full-scale exorcism of energy. Thousands sang in unison, arms raised not in worship, perhaps, but in shared catharsis.
If earlier eras of Ghost reveled in camp and pageantry, SKELETOUR’s Seattle stop showcased a band comfortable in its scale and evolving identity. Bigger stage, sharper vocals, tighter thematic cohesion. The mystique remains, but it’s now backed by arena-level confidence.
For Seattle fans who’ve watched Ghost ascend through the city’s venues over the past decade, this performance wasn’t just another tour stop. It was proof of transformation, from cult favorite to commanding arena force, and a reminder that the ritual continues to grow louder with each new chapter.
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