When Vogue India interviewed Gorillaz in January, ahead of the launch of their India-inspired album, The Mountain, the most loaded question was: “Is an India tour on the cards?” Frontman Damon Albarn wasted no time before answering, “If we don’t play in India, what’s the point of this album?” And from there, the hope was born.
Three months later, Gorillaz have made good on their promise. Albarn, along with artist Jamie Hewlett, who created virtual band members singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs, will make their India debut in 2027. The lucky cities they will drop anchor in are Bengaluru (January 23; District Arena) and Mumbai (January 27; Jio World Garden)—although to hear Albarn and Hewlett speak about how much they love India, they might just add to those cities in the months to come. “Visually, there’s something interesting going on in every square metre of India. That’s why we took our photographer with us—drawing a single backdrop would probably take me a year,” Hewlett had told Vogue India. “I wanted to photograph everything and then put the characters into those scenes. It would have been impossible to replicate what was happening on the streets of Jaipur or Delhi through a sketch because it’s thousands of years of cultural evidence. I love it. I’m not finished with India. I need more.” In Bengaluru and Mumbai, Gorillaz will be joined onstage by their full live band as well as special guest performers, including many of Gorillaz’s Indian collaborators—which include Asha Bhosle, Anoushka Shankar, Ajay Prasanna, Asha Puthli, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
