CONCERT REVIEW: Ghost Haunt Amsterdam With Epic, Phone-Free Spectacle

After a two-year absence, Ghost returned to the Netherlands, this time performing at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam instead of the AFAS Live, which they had sold out on their previous two tours. The band came close to filling the 17,000-capacity venue, despite a no-phone policy that reportedly deterred some fans from attending.

The no-phone policy presented challenges. Attendees had to place their phones in locked bags, which could only be opened at the end of the show or in designated phone areas. This process caused delays, with queues extending past the scheduled start time, potentially frustrating fans eager to see the entire performance, especially given the ticket prices.

Despite the logistical hiccups, Ghost’s current tour is their most ambitious production yet. Alongside their iconic church backdrop, the band featured a talented live ensemble, including backup singers in Ghost-inspired outfits, delivering hit after hit to an enthusiastic crowd. The absence of phones seemed to heighten the audience’s engagement, creating a more immersive experience.

Ghost’s popularity has soared recently, fueled by viral TikTok hits like Square Hammer and Mary On A Cross, which justified the venue upgrade. The band also had their latest album, Skeletá, released just weeks ago! However, the setlist wasn’t heavily focused on the new record; it celebrated Ghost’s extensive discography, featuring fan favourites from every era, including their debut, Opus Eponymous.

The show was visually dynamic, with multiple outfit changes, evolving backdrops, and sensory spectacles like pyrotechnics, CO2 cannons, and fireworks at key moments. While the production was impressive, some felt the spectacle didn’t fully match the high ticket prices, though the show was far from disappointing. Ghost remains one of the most distinctive live acts, consistently leaving audiences in awe. The set had occasional lulls, but the powerful encore—featuring Mary On A Cross, Dance Macabre, and Square Hammer—was a highlight, amplified by the phone-free environment.

While the no-phone policy enhanced the experience, the locked bags felt excessive to some. A simpler approach, like Tool’s method of enforcing a phone ban with the risk of ejection, might be preferable. Overall, Ghost delivered a memorable performance, blending theatricality and musicianship.

Check out photos of the Ghost performance in the gallery below and let us know if you’re attending any of the remaining shows!

CONCERT REVIEW: Ghost Bring Their Gospel To Amsterdam In Majestic Show

Ghost were in the Netherlands! It’s only been a year since they last visited but they made sure to make it a great performance. They invited Halestorm to open for them during this show. Halestorm opens for a few more shows during this Ghost tour.

Halestorm recently won the award for ‘Best international Artist’ at the Heavy Music Awards(HME’s) so it was sure to be a good performance by them. The band has some exciting stuff coming up, they have tours with some other massive bands later this year like Black Veil Brides.

The doors opened around 7 PM so we had to wait for around an hour for Halestorm to start performing at 8PM. The start of their performance was already impressive. LZZY Hale, the lead singer, started the performance off with some insane vocals. She kept this up throughout the entire set and she was met with intense cheering from the crowd.

Their set consisted of 14 songs that they played over the course of an hour. Most songs were from their most recent album Back From The Dead but they had a nice mix of other projects throughout their set. They even covered Crazy On You by Heart.

The drummer, Arejay Hale, got the spotlight too around the middle of their set. He had an impressive drum solo while the other band members got to take a little break. He even brought out massive drumsticks that were bigger than his arms. It seemed impossible that he would play even fine with them but he actually sounded amazing.

Halestorm puts on a great show and they have a great stage presence. Check out some pictures we took below!

Halestorm:

It was Ghost’s turn next. We had a half hour break in between sets where a massive cloth was put up at the front of the stage. This was so we couldn’t see what was going on on stage.

The stage was finally revealed when Ghost their set started. The cloth came down and we saw a massive steampunk-like stage with stained glass in the background. Church themed but it depicted more Ghost like themes of course.

The drum kit was pretty high up on its own stage surrounded by stairs that led up to them. It was basically the centrepiece of the entire stage. Tobias Forge, the lead singer of Ghost. Or Papa Emeritus IV as he is known in the fanbase often went behind the drums whenever he had a costume change. And there were in fact a lot of costume changes. Some were small but some were also quite big. Even getting on stage dressed as a priest with a lot of jewellery and shiny bits on the outfit. 

As for their performance. Tobias was absolutely amazing. He had a lot of grace whenever he walked around. Kind of prestigious if that makes sense. He also often interacted with the other band members who all wore the same black outfits with black steampunk-like glasses and helmets. The other band members often interacted with each other too, everyone on stage was really playful with each other and it seemed like you were watching a comedic play at times.

Overall, please go to a Ghost concert If you like them even a little bit. The show was definitely one of the better shows this year. They do so many fun things on stage and you’ll be constantly entertained. Halestorm also did a great job at putting on a show so do consider attending one of their concerts if you ever get the chance to. Check out the pictures we took during the set of Ghost below!

Ghost: