Gorillaz have officially announced their highly anticipated ninth studio album, The Mountain, due for release on March 20, 2026. Alongside the album reveal, the Damon Albarn-led animated collective shared its theatrical first single, “The Happy Dictator,” featuring art-pop pioneers Sparks, and unveiled an extensive UK and Ireland tour set for spring 2026. The announcement follows the band’s recent four-night residency at London’s Copper Box Arena, where The Mountain was previewed in a strict phone-free environment.
Out via Gorillaz’ newly launched label KONG, The Mountain pushes the band’s reputation for cross-genre collaboration further than ever. Among the album’s 15 tracks are contributions from Black Thought, Johnny Marr, IDLES, Omar Souleyman, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon, and even Sparks, who appear on the lead single. South American star Trueno, electronic producer Bizarrap, and legendary vocalists Asha Bhosle and Anoushka Shankar also feature prominently.
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The opening track, “The Mountain”, brings together voices as diverse as Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, and the Ali Bangash brothers. Meanwhile, “The Moon Cave” unites Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, and Black Thought. Other highlights include “Orange County” with Bizarrap and Kara Jackson, “Damascus” featuring Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey, and “The Empty Dream Machine” with Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar.
Full Tracklist:
1 The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
2 ‘The Moon Cave’ (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought)
3 ‘The Happy Dictator’ (feat. Sparks)
4 ‘The Hardest Thing’ (feat. Tony Allen)
5 ‘Orange County’ (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar)
6 ‘The God of Lying’ (feat. IDLES)
7 ‘The Empty Dream Machine’ (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
8 ‘The Manifesto’ (feat. Trueno and Proof)
9 ‘The Plastic Guru’ (feat. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
10 ‘Delirium’ (feat. Mark E. Smith)
11 ‘Damascus’ (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey)
12 ‘The Shadowy Light’ (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
13 ‘Casablanca’ (feat. Paul Simonon and Johnny Marr)
14 ‘The Sweet Prince’ (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
15 ‘The Sad God’ (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar)
To celebrate the album, Gorillaz will embark on a major UK and Ireland arena tour, kicking off March 21 in Manchester and running through April. Stops include Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast, and Dublin, with South American rapper Trueno supporting on most dates. The tour culminates in a massive one-off show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, featuring Sparks and Trueno as special guests.
Tour dates:
• March 21 – Manchester, Co-op Live
• March 22 – Birmingham, BP Pulse Live
• March 24 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro (support from Trueno)
• March 25 – Leeds, First Direct Arena
• March 27 – Cardiff, Utilitia Arena (support from Trueno)
• March 28 – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena (support from Trueno)
• March 29 – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena (support from Trueno)
• March 31 – Belfast, SSE Arena
• April 1 – Dublin, 3Arena (support from Trueno)
• June 20 – London, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (support from Sparks and Trueno)
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