Gorillaz announce new album ‘The Mountain’, unveil details of 2026 arena tour
The virtual band will release their ninth studio record next March, their first in three years
Gorillaz are returning next spring with their ninth studio record, ‘The Mountain’, marking their first full-length release in over three years.
The virtual band announced the news yesterday (September 11) with the release of a new single, ‘The Happy Dictator’, featuring Sparks.
The album is set to land on March 20, 2026, and will be the first release on Gorillaz’ brand new record label KONG. ‘The Mountain’ comprises 15 tracks said to “embody the very essence of Gorillaz’ collaborative ethos”.
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Featuring artists on the album include IDLES, Jalen Ngonda, Paul Simonon, Anoushka Shankar, Trueno, Yasiin Bey, the late Tony Allen, and Johnny Marr of The Smiths fame.
‘The Mountain’ was recorded across various locations worldwide, including Mumbai, Los Angeles, Miami, London, New Delhi, and more, and features tracks in five different languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.
Speaking on the new album, Gorillaz drummer Russel Hobbs says: “As space dust we are here forever and that’s a mighty long time. This is a musical meditation infused with light. A journey of the soul, with beats.”
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Alongside the announcement, Gorillaz also shared details of a 2026 arena tour through the UK and Ireland, taking place across nine dates between March and April next year.
The tour is set to begin at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on March 21, concluding at Dublin’s 3Arena on April 1. The band will then perform a one-off stadium show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, with support from Sparks and Trueno.
Gorillaz debuted new tracks from the album during the final night of their four-date residency at London’s Copper Box Arena this month, which concluded last week with a ‘Mystery Show’ featuring new music and dozens of surprise acts.
Read this next: Gorillaz’ Kong Studios returns as immersive online video game
The run of shows marked 25 years of the legendary virtual band, alongside an era-spanning celebration of their artistry with an immersive exhibition, House of Kong, which was displayed in London from August to September.
Earlier this week, Gorillaz announced the return of fan-favourite virtual experience Kong Studios, originally launched via the band’s website two decades ago.
The "gamified" experience allows users to “explore the rooms and spaces of 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel”, and also promises to provide updates on all things Gorillaz.
Check out the artwork and tracklist for 'The Mountain' below, and grab your tickets to Gorillaz' 2026 arena tour here.
'The Mountain' tracklist:
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
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