Gorillaz climbs ‘The Mountain’ with a new track out now titled “Orange County” (ft. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson & Anoushka Shankar), which comes with its companion track “The Hardest Thing” (ft Tony Allen). Side by side on new studio album ‘The Mountain’ – out 27 February 2026 on Gorillaz’ own new label KONG – the two tracks are also available now on a limited-edition Double A Side 7” vinyl.
Written by Damon Albarn, “The Hardest Thing” opens with the voice of longtime collaborator and friend, the pioneering musician and drummer Tony Allen who passed away in 2020. The song is a beautiful exploration of grief and hope, both central themes on new album The Mountain, with the haunting lyric, “You know the hardest thing is to say goodbye to someone you love, That is the hardest thing” carrying through into “Orange County”. The uplifting track sees Albarn joined by singer-songwriter and poet Kara Jackson on vocals, as well as 14-time Grammy-nominated sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Produced by Gorillaz and Bizarrap, Orange County was written by Damon Albarn, former U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate, Kara Jackson, and four-time Latin Grammy-winning, Argentine artist, producer and musical innovator Bizarrap.
‘The Mountain’ is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, an expansive sonic landscape of instruments and sounds, richly layered with voices, melodies and addictive beats, spanning a collection of 15 songs that embody the very essence of Gorillaz’ collaborative ethos. The record features an extraordinary list of artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, IDLES, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of friends and collaborators who have gone before us, including Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. ‘The Mountain’ is a playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence.
The Mountain Tour will kick off with two sold-out warm-up shows in Bradford on 13 and 14 March before opening in Manchester on 20 March 2026. The tour will visit arenas across the UK and Ireland, with headline shows in Birmingham, Glasgow (SOLD OUT), Leeds, Cardiff (SOLD OUT), Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast (SOLD OUT) and Dublin (SOLD OUT); plus a one-off headline show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 20 June 2026 – the band’s biggest UK show to date – with support from Sparks and Trueno. The tour will also take in a run of festival performances across Europe next summer. See complete list of dates and ticket information below and at Gorillaz.com.
UK & Ireland Dates:
13 March – BRADFORD, Bradford Live (Warm Up Show) – SOLD OUT!
14 March – BRADFORD, Bradford Live (Warm Up Show) – SOLD OUT!
20 March – MANCHESTER, Co-op Live – NEW DATE DUE TO DEMAND!
21 March – MANCHESTER, Co-op Live
22 March – BIRMINGHAM, bp pulse LIVE
24 March – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro* – SOLD OUT!
25 March – LEEDS, First Direct Arena*
27 March – CARDIFF, Utilita Arena* – SOLD OUT!
28 March – NOTTINGHAM, Motorpoint Arena*
29 March – LIVERPOOL, M&S Bank Arena*
31 March – BELFAST, SSE Arena* – SOLD OUT!
01 April – DUBLIN, 3Arena* – SOLD OUT!
02 April – DUBLIN, 3Arena* – NEW DATE DUE TO DEMAND! SOLD OUT!
*support from Trueno
20 June – LONDON, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
With support from Sparks and Trueno