Ban mobile phones at concerts

There's probably no one who hasn't been upset by this in recent years: People who feel like they're filming half the concert with their smartphones and destroying magical moments as a result. With this in mind, I was delighted when Tobias Forge announced that mobile phones would be banned during Ghost's Skeletour. I just wondered how well it would work.

In the meantime I am wiser: both in Frankfurt (23.04.) and in Oberhausen (14.05.) the organisation worked excellently in this respect. At the entrance, you were kindly asked to put your smartphone in a Yondr bag that you couldn't open yourself - provided you didn't have a toolbox in your trouser pocket. Those who urgently needed to phone home could do so in the Festhalle in Frankfurt as well as in the Arena Oberhausen in specially set up zones.

As I didn't feel this urge, I once had a four-hour mobile phone holiday. I have to say, that generally does me a lot of good - especially as I have this damn item in my hand far too often in everyday life, both professionally and privately.

Without a smartphone, everything was definitely more intense - even the 1.5 hours or so before the start of the concert. You are more aware of your surroundings and also pay more attention to the musical programme. This effect was even more pronounced during the concert: At my last Ghost gig last year, I was extremely annoyed by people filming the whole time. This time, there wasn't a mobile phone to be seen anywhere. And that led to a more exuberant atmosphere, allowing Tobias to establish an even stronger connection with the audience.

Even though all my Ghost concerts between 2016 and 2025 have been excellent, the two evenings in April and May 2025 were particularly special. Of course, the setlist gets better with every tour, as the latest album Skeletà is captivating from the first to the last second. But the lack of distraction from bright displays did the rest.

I therefore appeal to all bands to enforce such mobile phone bans. It's not a problem from an organisational point of view – and I had the impression that the vast majority of the audience was in favour of it. And if there are no such official bans, my request to every concertgoer is: leave your bloody smartphone in your pocket. Sure, 2-3 snapshots are perfectly fine, but filming for minutes on end should be frowned upon. It just spoils the atmosphere considerably...