Gorillaz, led by Damon Albarn, announce 2026 return with 'The Mountain'

Gorillaz will release a new studio album, The Mountain, on March 20 via Kong. First track "The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)" is out now, listen HERE. Watch visualizer HERE.

The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album. It features Johnny Marr, Sparks, Paul Simonon of The Clash, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, IDLES, and more, plus the voices of friends and collaborators who have gone before us, including Dennis Hopper, Bobby Womack, Mark E Smith of The Fall, and Tony Allen. 

Artists perform in five languages on the album: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.

The artwork for The Mountain sees visual artist Jamie Hewlett again handle the hand-drawn images which capture Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D’s time in India working on the new album, available both as a book and as a collection of 12x12 prints.

A tour will visit arenas across the UK and Ireland in Spring 2026, and follows the sold-out 5-star House of Kong exhibition and four performances at the UK's Copper Box Arena. A one-off headline show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20 has support from Sparks. Dates and ticket information below and at Gorillaz.com.

Circumstances now find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, having made their way to Mumbai with the help of four fake passports courtesy of a New York business acquaintance of Murdoc. The band has turned its back on international pop stardom, with our heroes now immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making, as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.

Gorillaz drummer Russel Hobbs said - “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…“

Fans around the world celebrated the return of Kong Studios - the home of Gorillaz. The band’s HQ since early 2000 (before falling into disrepair and eventually being burnt to the ground by Murdoc in 2008), the original Kong Studios was a ground-breaking virtual gathering place for fans, allowing them to connect and explore the band’s living quarters and recording studio, listen to music, play games, fight zombies, and much more. Now faithfully restored to its former glory, Kong Studios is back with a fresh lick of paint as a gamified, online fan experience. Visit Kong Studios HERE.

The Mountain will be available in the following formats: Digital Download; Standard CD; Deluxe 2CD (incl. selection of Mystery Show live tracks); Standard Vinyl; Hardback Book Vinyl Edition; Limited Edition Collectors Box (incl. Art Prints). Pre-order HERE.

Track listing:

The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought)
The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)
The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)
Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar)
The God of Lying (feat. IDLES)
The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
The Manifesto (feat. Trueno and Proof)
The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)
Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey)
The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon and Johnny Marr)
The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)'
The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar)