Ghost closed out their 2023 Skeletour with something special — and something secret. The Swedish rock band has confirmed that the final two concerts of the run, both held at Mexico City’s 20,000-capacity Palacio De Los Deportes, were captured on 16mm film for a future release.
The road to those shows wasn’t without obstacles. After the September 23 performance had to be canceled due to frontman Tobias Forge suffering from food poisoning, the band returned the next two nights, turning setback into opportunity.
On social media, Ghost shared: “Children of Mexico! Two out of three nights of heat, jumping, singing, passion, rawk, roll, and filming at the classic Palacio De Los Deportes. We shot it all on 16 mm, for the rest of the world to see at some point. But for now it’ll be our little secret. Again, Deepest apologies for the first night being cancelled. Thank you and Good Night / A Nameless Ghoul”.
The excitement extended beyond fans. Vanessa Warwick, the former MTV Europe Headbangers Ball host and current face of the band’s GTV coverage, responded enthusiastically: “The rat is out of the bag! A new Ghost live concert movie is in the making, filmed in Mexico City on 16mm film — old school style! This will make the magic of the Skeletour available to everyone in perpetuity!”
She added, “Last night’s ritual was on another level and I am so glad it was captured on celluloid for everyone to enjoy. Ghost always provides so much to look forward to and keeps the magic alive for all of us.”
This live film promises to be more than just a documentation of a tour. The Skeletour itself has been described as the band’s most ambitious outing yet, designed in collaboration between Forge and creative director Tobias Rylander. The shows supported the band’s sixth studio album Skeletá, released in April, and pushed their theatricality into new territory.
The stage design blended gothic symbolism with brutalist architecture, evoking the dual spirit of sacred temples and rock arenas. A central feature was the “Grucifix,” a towering reinterpretation of the band’s logo, which doubled as a lighting rig to bathe the performance in an otherworldly glow.
Other elements reinforced the cathedral-like setting: sculptural facades on lighting pods, towering vertical structures, and retro-rock lighting nods to Queen and Van Halen. Combined with video design by Amir Chamdin and Green Wall Designs, the show transformed into an immersive multimedia experience.
Mechanical lifts, elevated platforms, and hidden entrances allowed performers to appear and disappear dramatically, heightening the sense that the stage itself was alive. The result was a performance space that didn’t just host the music but actively shaped its presentation.
Rylander’s first collaboration with the Grammy-winning band drew from his vast experience designing shows for Beyoncé, The 1975, Childish Gambino, Chappell Roan, The XX, and FKA Twigs. In his hands, Skeletour became less a rock concert and more a living cathedral, a fusion of sacred art and rock spectacle.
