Featuring collaborations with Ajay Prasanna, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Johnny Marr, Trueno, Yasiin Bey, and more.
Photo credit: Gorillaz – Official
Gorillaz have announced their ninth studio album, ‘The Mountain’, set for release on March 20th, 2026, through their new label KONG. The first single, ‘The Happy Dictator’ featuring Sparks, is available now with an official visualiser.
Recorded across London, Mumbai, Ashgabat, New York, and other cities, the 15-track album brings together voices in Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba. Collaborators include Ajay Prasanna, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Johnny Marr, Trueno, and Yasiin Bey, alongside posthumous appearances by Bobby Womack, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Tony Allen, and others.
Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, Remi Kabaka Jr., and Bizarrap (on ‘Orange County’), ‘The Mountain’ is described as a meditation on life’s journey and the thrill of existence. “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…,” said drummer Russel Hobbs.
Visual artist Jamie Hewlett has created the accompanying artwork, portraying the band’s time in India through a series of intricate hand-drawn illustrations, available both as a book and a collection of 12×12 prints.
In support of the release, Gorillaz will embark on The Mountain Tour, beginning in Manchester on March 21st, 2026, before traveling to Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast, and Dublin. A headline stadium show is scheduled for June 20th, 2026, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, with Sparks and Trueno joining as special guests. Tickets are available here.
The news also coincides with the relaunch of Kong Studios, the band’s virtual HQ, now revived as an interactive online fan platform.
Listen to ‘The Happy Dictator’ below and secure your copy here.
Pre-order ‘The Mountain’ here.
