Thousands of Fans Left Waiting in Birmingham Due to Group’s Phone Policy

Concert Chaos in Birmingham

Yesterday, thousands of fans prostrated themselves in Birmingham as the group’s strict phone policy led to extensive lines.

Memorable Night for Fans

Last night (April 20), the Swedish band performed at their largest British concert to date at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. This event featured their “no phone” rule for the 2025 tour, designed to encourage fans to be present and engage fully with the live show. As a result, concert staff were notably absent from social media.

Despite this, many fans took to X/Twitter before the concert to share updates on the lengthy lines they faced while trying to enter the venue. Reports indicated that the lines stretched from the Utilita Arena to the Birmingham Library and along the canal, as fans awaited bag checks.

So far, some fans claimed that the no-phones rule made the concert “even more special,” while others expressed disappointment with the “absolute chaos” regarding organization, with one user adding: “This is almost like Utilita Birmingham, I forgot that you have 16 thousand people.”

Line for last night show in @Utilitaarenabhm 😳

Video by Tobiasforgefansbrazil #SKELETOUR pic.twitter.com/m5SBE8YLGQ

– Skeletour 2025 (@ghostworldtour) April 21, 2025

Holy shit. Queue to get into @thebandghost V @Utilitaarenabhm stretched to the Birmingham library and beyond. I’ve never seen anything like this at a concert in the city 🤯 pic.twitter.com/sr1rhxtwfy

– Kires Bosley (@bozzers) April 20, 2025

Recently, during an appearance on NME’s In a series of conversations, frontman Tobias Forge discussed how Black Sabbath’s legacy has profoundly influenced him.

“Ozzy as a frontman and Ozzy as a solo artist are what I differentiate between, as I grew up in the 80s when he was much more of a rock star than with Black Sabbath. I gravitated towards this, but I also grew up listening to the classic Black Sabbath records,” he explained.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbwuqhwpo_o

“Currently, I love the majority of Black Sabbath releases. Even the albums from the 80s and 90s have a special place in my heart. I have always been inspired by them.”

The frontman of the Swedish occult metal group is set to perform alongside Ozzy Osbourne at the final concert at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday, July 5, as part of the lineup. Legendary Black Sabbath members, including guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward, will perform live for the first time in two decades at this event.

The extensive lineup will also feature acts like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, recent Grammy winners Gojira, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Jason Momoa, and others.

Meanwhile, Ghost is continuing its European tour in the upcoming weeks, and you can check the full list of dates and visit here to purchase remaining tickets.