GHOST, the celebrated Swedish rock band led by Tobias Forge, will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon next Wednesday, July 23. The performance, recorded live in Studio 6B at Rockefeller Center in New York City, will be available shortly after on the show’s official YouTube channel.
The appearance coincides with the U.S. leg of the band’s sprawling Skeletour world tour, launched earlier this month in support of their sixth studio album, Skeletá, which debuted in April. This tour marks a significant leap forward in GHOST’s live production, blending theatricality, gothic grandeur, and cutting-edge stagecraft into a fully immersive concert experience.
Designed by Tobias Rylander in collaboration with Forge, the stage draws from both brutalist architecture and gothic symbolism, fusing sacred imagery with modern design. Drawing inspiration from brutalist cathedrals across Europe, the set evokes both the reverence of a church and the intensity of a rock coliseum.
Central to the visual experience is the “Grucifix” — a massive reinterpretation of the band’s iconic cross logo. Suspended above the stage, the structure doubles as a dramatic lighting rig, bathing the band in an ethereal glow. Surrounding it, sculptural facades and vertical lighting elements mirror the towering interiors of historic cathedrals.
The lighting itself is rich with retro-rock references, nodding to the classic live aesthetics of bands like QUEEN and VAN HALEN. For the first time, the show incorporates full-scale video production, helmed by Rylander and video director Amir Chamdin, with content developed by Green Wall Designs. The result is a live show that transcends its physical environment, unfolding as a cinematic, multimedia event.
True to GHOST’s reputation for dramatic performance, the stage is as much a character as the musicians themselves. Featuring elevated platforms, mechanical lifts, and hidden entrances, it’s been built to enable theatrical reveals and narrative-driven transitions. Described as a “living, breathing cathedral of performance,” the Skeletour redefines what fans can expect from the band’s concerts.
Rylander, known for his work with global icons like Beyoncé, The 1975, Childish Gambino, FKA Twigs, and more, makes his debut collaboration with GHOST on this tour. His creative vision elevates the band’s already ambitious stage show into new artistic territory.
The European leg of the Skeletour began in Manchester on April 15 and wrapped May 24 in Oslo. The North American leg kicked off July 9 in Baltimore and will conclude August 16 in Houston, Texas.
GHOST’s momentum hasn’t been limited to the stage. Their new album Skeletá made a historic debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 86,000 equivalent album units in its first week. An overwhelming 89% of those were traditional album sales, with vinyl alone making up over 44,000 units — making Skeletá the first hard rock album to top the chart since AC/DC’s Power Up in 2020.
The album’s lead single, “Satanized,” introduced fans to GHOST’s newest incarnation: Papa V Perpetua. Continuing the band’s tradition of evolving personas, this character leads GHOST into its 2025 cycle. Previous iterations of Forge’s stage persona included three versions of Papa Emeritus, each replaced by the next, before transitioning to Cardinal Copia ahead of 2018’s Prequelle. Papa Emeritus IV was introduced at the close of that tour and fronted the band’s Impera era (2022).
Now, with Skeletá, a bold new visual production, and their biggest tour yet underway, GHOST is poised to push their musical mythology further than ever before.
