Upcoming Gorillaz dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Gorillaz, in brief
Gorillaz is an English virtual band, created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn of Blur and artist Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of Tank Girl. On screen the band is four cartoon characters: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs. On stage it is Albarn leading a large live band, backing singers and a rotating cast of guest vocalists, with Hewlett's animation on a big screen behind them. In North America the band mostly headlines arenas and festivals.
The music mixes alternative rock, hip-hop, electronic and dub. The debut album Gorillaz (2001) and its single "Clint Eastwood" made the band a hit; Demon Days (2005), with "Feel Good Inc.", "Dare" and "Dirty Harry", became the best seller, and "Feel Good Inc." won a Grammy. Later albums include Plastic Beach (2010), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018), Song Machine, Season One (2020), Cracker Island (2023) and The Mountain (2026), which drew on music and themes from India.
How a cartoon band plays live
The live format has changed over the years, and the history explains what you see today:
- 2001: on the first tour, the musicians played completely hidden behind a giant screen showing the animation. Albarn later said he found it frustrating.
- 2005 and 2006: the Demon Days Live residencies at the Manchester Opera House and New York's Apollo Theater showed the band only in silhouette.
- 2010 onward: starting with the Escape to Plastic Beach Tour, the band has played fully visible, with the animation on a screen above or behind them.
A modern Gorillaz show is therefore two things at once: a large band with guest rappers and singers stepping in for their parts, and a film running alongside it. The guests change from night to night. On The Mountain Tour, for example, Del the Funky Homosapien, Bootie Brown, Little Simz and Black Thought appeared at selected dates, and hometown or one-off guests showed up in particular cities.
Tours and landmark shows
Selected tours and performances from the cited records:
- Escape to Plastic Beach Tour (2010): the first world tour, preceded by headline sets at Coachella and Glastonbury.
- Humanz Tour (2017 to 2018): a world tour with a full visible band and the screen behind it, plus the band's own Demon Dayz Festival in Margate in 2017 and Los Angeles in 2018.
- World Tour 2022: dates across South America, Europe, Australia and North America, debuting material that became Cracker Island.
- House of Kong (2025): a run at London's Copper Box Arena where the band played its first three albums in full and previewed The Mountain.
- The Mountain Tour (March 2026 to January 2027): the band's first stadium headline show, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 20, 2026, plus European festivals, Latin America and first-ever shows in India. The North American leg, with Deltron 3030 and Little Simz in support, was scheduled from September 17, 2026, in Orlando to October 31, 2026, in Seattle, with stops including Madison Square Garden, TD Garden, Scotiabank Arena, United Center, Moody Center, Ball Arena, Kia Forum and Climate Pledge Arena, plus a set at Shaky Knees in Atlanta.
For current dates, check the live event list on this page.
Where to sit for a Gorillaz concert
Because half the show is on the screen, your angle to the stage matters more than raw distance. Check the seating map on your event, then apply these rules for an end-stage arena setup:
- Lower-bowl sections facing the stage: the best seats in the house for this band. You see the musicians, the guests and the full animation at once.
- Floor, front sections: the most energy and the closest look at Albarn and the guests, but you look up at the screen from a steep angle and the crowd ahead can block it.
- Floor, further back: a flat floor makes this the weakest-value spot if you are not tall. A raised seat in the lower bowl usually sees more.
- Side sections near the stage: avoid them for this show. At a sharp angle the main screen can be partly or entirely out of view, and the animation is part of what you paid for.
- Upper level, center: a good value choice. The screen is built to read from a distance.
Steer clear of seats sold as behind the stage or limited view. For Gorillaz, those seats may miss the screen completely.
How demand behaves for their dates
Gorillaz tours come in bursts tied to album cycles, with gaps such as the 2012 to 2017 hiatus, and that scarcity concentrates demand when dates are announced. When The Mountain Tour went on sale in the UK and Ireland, extra dates in Manchester and Dublin were added because of demand.
- Presales come first. Fan, artist and promoter presales typically run before the general on-sale, and the best lower-bowl seats often go in that window.
- Big-market shows draw the most buyers. Dates in New York, Los Angeles and other large cities usually see the strongest resale interest.
- Festival sets are a separate purchase. A festival appearance is sold as a festival pass, not a headline ticket.
GoodSeats orders carry no digital transfer fees. For announcements from the band, see the official Gorillaz site.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gorillaz a real band?
Gorillaz is a virtual band of four cartoon characters, but the music is made and performed by real people. Damon Albarn leads a large live band on stage, with guest singers and Jamie Hewlett's animation on screen.
Do you see the musicians at a Gorillaz concert?
Yes. Since the 2010 Escape to Plastic Beach Tour, the band has played in full view. Earlier tours hid the musicians behind a screen or showed them only in silhouette.
What are the best seats for a Gorillaz show?
Lower-bowl sections facing the stage, where you can see the band and the full animated screen together. Side sections close to the stage can lose the screen.
When did Gorillaz play their first stadium show?
Their first stadium concert as a headliner was at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 20, 2026, during The Mountain Tour.
Who created Gorillaz?
Musician Damon Albarn, of Blur, and comic artist Jamie Hewlett created the band in 1998.