Concert Review #3: Ghost at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK-- February 7, 2026
Yes, this is the second review of a Ghost concert within the past several months. This time my wife Allison and I went to Tulsa, OK on February 7, 2026. Unlike last July when we went to Nashville, we had seats on the floor of the BOK Arena instead of the nosebleed seats we had at the Bridgestone Arena. The only drawback was that the entire floor is on one level, and with pretty-much everyone standing throughout the show, sometimes our view was slightly obstructed. That, however, is a very minor issue. As with all of the shows in this tour, cell-phone use was banned. There is a company called Yondr that locks the phones in a pouch that you keep during the show, and it is opened afterward. As such, I cannot provide any pictures of the concert. The arena had some of the upper-deck areas closed on the sides, but they were open in the back. By the time the show started, the available seats were pretty-well filled. This leg of the tour began in late January, and a few shows were canceled due to the winter storm. The setlist is similar to the first show but with minor differences.
The one disappointment is that we were hoping that “Call Me Little Sunshine” would be part of the set, as it had been in the 2 or 3 shows prior to this one, but it wasn’t to be. It is one of our favorites, especially Allison.
BTW, for anyone reading this who isn’t familiar with Ghost, please see my Spotlight feature, review of the latest album “Skeleta’”, and the Nashville show by clicking the “Label” for Ghost at the end of the article or in the menu to the left of the article. There is way too much to cover here. But in a nutshell, this Swedish band is led by singer/songwriter Tobias Forge, currently in the guise of Papa Perpetua V (it has changed over the years), and a “Band of Nameless Ghouls”. They wear costumes and masks. There are 2 guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, keyboardist, backing vocalists and a utility player who plays various things as needed.
The staging and presentation are massive! This is a “big rock show” for sure. During the opener, “Peacefield”, the band is behind a curtain with just a few shreds missing to peep through. It begins with peaceful choral singing (pre-recorded), and proceeds through a single guitar riff, a verse with minimal accompaniment, then big power chords hit where they sing “This is what dreams are made of” where we feel like the curtains should drop, but they stay up until after the first chorus when the band kicks in fully. Due to this, a significant portion of the song is behind the curtain. From that point on though, the show ROCKS! In the song “Majesty”, Papa seems to levitate above the drums. There are various images on screens behind the band and the general scene changes during different portions of the set. According to Google AI, here are descriptions of the backdrops and lighting rigs:
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Key backdrop, prop, and visual changes include:
Opening/Church Setting: Shows a stained-glass window with figures behind inflatable church walls, which later shatter.
Volcanic Hellscape: A dark, erupting landscape serves as the backdrop during "Rats".
"Mummy Dust" Creature: Features a surreal, spider-like creature with a human head, top hat, and human hands as feet, moving through a factory, followed by a large octopus. [note: There is also confetti in the form of pretend stylized Ghost money let loose near the end of the song, and a shtick where a guy with a blower clears it off the stage afterwards]
"Kiss the Go-Goat": Displays a black-and-white visualizer of the band.
"Monstrance Clock": Shows a cloaked figure walking up a staircase, later transitioning to visualizers with figures in suggestive poses.
"He Is": Features a slow rebuilding of the stained glass, which breaks again.
The Grucifix: A massive, automated, central lighting rig that moves throughout the show, evoking a "centipede" or organic shape. [note: it is a variation of an inverted cross with a big “G” for Ghost incorporated in the center]
"Darkness at the Heart of My Love": Sets a dramatic, intimate mood, often with crowd-lit lighters.
The stage setup also incorporates 3D arches, skull and bone decorations, and, during certain songs, a statue of Mary that appears to change in relation to the music.
Starting from "Cirice", the inflatable church walls blow up with the screen behind it showing a stained-glass window…
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There are also points especially later in the show with pyrotechnics, and we could actually feel the heat from the flames. As I said, a big rock show, indeed!
As for the music, the band is FLAWLESS live. Having a large number of players ensures that the songs sound as big and full as they do on the albums, but it is very clear that they are actually playing live. They are all very skilled musicians, but the main lead guitarist and keyboardist are fantastic soloists. Papa and the Ghouls look like they are having a blast the entire time. Papa will engage in banter with the audience that is quite amusing. One of the funniest things he said this time was something like “It’s been a while since we’ve been to Tulsa! We were looking through the files–no! Not THOSE files, OUR files, and it’s been 7½ years since we’ve been here…”
And that ENCORE! It is a serious 1-2-3 punch of some of the band’s best-known songs. Tobias/Papa knows how to pace a show and give the crowd a great experience for their money. I must say that the vibe of the crowd at both shows was great from my perspective. There was apparently, however, a bit of an issue at the front of the “Pit” (a standing room only area in front of the stage) where some fans were getting crushed against the barrier and the venue security took too long to respond to. We were not aware of that until a few days after the show. Other than that, I'll say that crowd control both inside and outside of the arena, including traffic management, were handled very well. In fact, we really enjoyed our time in Tulsa. It was our first time spending any time there, only having driven through once before.
The bottom line– If you have an opportunity to see Ghost, and you love great hard rock/metal, TAKE IT! You won’t be disappointed. Unfortunately, though, recent interviews with Tobias Forge seem to be hinting at a hiatus at the very least. We can only hope that it is only temporary, and that Ghost will return to the studio and stage after a well-deserved break. There are also indications that a concert film of this tour is in the works. Let’s hope that it comes to fruition.
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