Ghost, led by Tobias Forge recently talked about the band’s decision to implement a "phone-free” policy for their upcoming 2025 world tour. The move, he says, is aimed with audience engagement in mind, after Forge's observation that connecting a modern crowd can be challenging these days.

The Swedish metal group announced a 55-date tour starting on April 15 in Manchester, UK, and continuing through Europe and North America, and then concluding in Mexico City on September 24. Concert-goers will have their phones placed in pouches, allowing them to keep their devices while preventing use during the performance.

In a conversation with the Loudwire Nights podcast, Forge elaborated on the rationale:

“We came off the first night and were just blown away that these people were so engaged. The face value of not seeing phones was literally like time travel. I’m not talking about like back to the ’80s, I’m talking about maybe 10 years back in time when people were generally not filming as much, whereas now in modern times it’s just ridiculous. If you’re playing in front of 10,000 people, 8,000 people are holding a phone. I wish it was like this all the time.

There is something intuitive about having fun together in a group, being there … I really think, hope and believe that people will find this slightly more enjoyable not than every show you’ve seen, but more enjoyable than standing in the back, seeing 1,000 screens and the band in the back.”

Forge surmises that this will lead to a "slightly" more enjoyable experience for everybody, instead of viewing the show through screens. This is, of course, not the first instance of a policy like this, as many other artists like Bob Dylan and Jack White have famously adopted a similar practice in recent years.

Along with the tour announcement, Ghost also revealed details about their forthcoming album, Skeletá, which will feature the introduction of Forge’s new character, Papa V Perpetua. The album is slated for release on April 25, with the first single, "Satanized," already available for listening.

Additionally, Papa V Perpetua is set to appear at Black Sabbath's final performance in Villa Park, Birmingham, on July 5.