The Band Ghost has announced that their upcoming 2025 tour will take the form of “no-phone experience”, meaning a complete ban on phone use during performances. This decision applies to over 50 concerts in Europe, the United States, and Mexico. Is this a step toward a better live music experience, or rather a controversial attempt to control the audience?
How does the phone blocking system work?
Upon entering the concert, attendees will be required to place their devices in special Yondr casesthat lock phones away for the duration of the event. Although attendees will be able to keep them with them, they will only be able to access their devices after leaving the designated concert area.
What are the consequences of breaking the rules?
Fans who decide to take out their phones and record the concert despite the ban must be prepared to face the consequences—security has the right to remove them from the venue without the possibility of re-entry. Similar rules were already in place at sold-out Ghost concerts at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles and proved effective.
A new trend in live music?
Banning cell phones is nothing new in the concert world—artists such as Jack White and Bob Dylan have taken similar steps in the past. Artists argue that smartphones distract both the audience and the performers themselves, and that a concert should be a fully analog experience, free from the interference of a screen.
Will other bands follow in Ghost’s footsteps? Or will fans find this move too radical? We’ll find out soon enough.
