While Ghost’s no-phones-allowed policy might have created a more immersive concert experience inside Birmingham’s Utilita Arena. Outside though, it was a different story.
Thousands of fans were left queuing around the venue for Ghost’s Skeletour stop on April 20, with some reporting delays that stretched all the way down to the canal. The band’s “phone-free” rule which required fans to lock their devices in Yondr pouches on entry created massive bottlenecks, with lengthy bag searches and logistical chaos adding to the drama.
As the show got underway, there was barely a whisper of it on socials which was the whole point. Swedish frontman Tobias Forge has previously been vocal about wanting fans to be fully present, asking for no filming or photos throughout the performance. It’s a bold move in a world where everyone sees concerts through a screen, and to be fair, plenty of fans later praised the atmosphere inside the arena. One post described the show as “even more special” because of the rule. Another called it “the best gig of my life.”
But outside, the vibes were not quite the same.
“It’s almost like Utilita Birmingham forgot there’s 16,000 people to seat,” one fan wrote, stuck in a snaking queue while the intro music rolled. Others called the setup an “absolute shit show,” with some reportedly missing parts of the show entirely.
BirminghamLive confirmed the crowd congestion, reporting queues that wrapped past the Library of Birmingham and along the canal. Arena security had their hands full checking bags, explaining the phone policy, and trying to keep 16,000 increasingly restless metalheads from turning feral.
To be fair, the idea behind the policy isn’t bad. Ghost want their shows to feel theatrical, immersive, sacred even and a sea of glowing phones doesn’t exactly scream atmosphere. But if you’re going to ban devices, maybe also plan for the fact that people still need to, you know, get through the doors.
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