The British virtual band Gorillaz are setting their foot in Guwahati in January next year as the new stop on their India tour The Mountain. The UK based band will perform at the Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati on January 31, adding Assam to the previously announced dates across Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Gorillaz were inherently going to have a lot to live upto for when they finally came to India. After 25 years of animated alter egos, genre-hopping records and a fanbase that has been waiting for the real-world version of the band to show up, the first Indian tour is inherently shaping up to be a big deal. Now, it has acquired a third stop, and arguably the most interesting one.
The Guwahati date is being presented in collaboration with Assam Tourism, which has been bringing large international acts to the state as part of its push around live events and tourism. Last December, Post Malone performed in Assam, while Guns N’ Roses are scheduled to play there later this year.
The Mountain gives the Indian dates all the edge it needs as compared to a standard stop on an international tour. The album was shaped by the time Albarn and Hewlett spent travelling through India, recording with Indian musicians and drawing from the country’s music, traditions and landscapes. In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Albarn explained the thinking behind the project: “It [the project] is all geared towards arriving in India at some point. That’s the whole point of it.” The record was made across studios in Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur and elsewhere, bringing artists including Anoushka Shankar, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, Ajay Prasanna and Asha Bhosle into the Gorillaz universe.
For a band that has spent 25 years using animation, music and visual storytelling to reflect the culture around it, The Mountain is an extension of that curiosity, this time with India becoming a central part of the work. Bringing the tour here gives the band the chance to perform the music in the country that helped shape its sound and imagery, at a moment when the record and its Indian influences can finally be experienced by the audiences who inspired part of its making.
Bhosle’s contribution obviously carries a lot of weight in terms of resonance with Indian audiences- as one of India’s most recognisable and loved voices, she appears on “The Shadowy Light”, singing a Hindi hook written by Kausar Munir. Speaking to Rolling Stone India, Bhosle said she was initially hesitant to work on the album, but was moved by its music and lyrics. The Mountain was among the last projects she worked on, and hearing her voice within Gorillaz’s world cements the heart of the album for the listeners who have grown up with her music.
Guwahati has a thriving independent music culture, with artists and collectives working across rock, electronic music, hip-hop and experimental sounds. It is part of a wider Northeast scene that has produced musicians, venues and independent platforms with audiences well beyond the region.
The High Commission Recordings is one such platform. The Guwahati-based independent label’s Sound of the City compilation brought together 10 artists from the region, spotlighting the breadth of music being made across the Northeast. In a 2024 interview with The Indian Music Diaries, artist Crane spoke about the underrepresentation of Northeast musicians on major platforms and the need to create more opportunities for audiences in Guwahati to experience different kinds of live music.
There is a natural fit between that musical openness and Gorillaz, whose catalogue has always made room for collaborators from different corners of the musical world. Speaking to Homegrown in February, Albarn described the process behind The Mountain simply: “We make it up as we go along.” The album, the band’s India-inspired ninth, features Asha Bhosle, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Puthli and Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, among a sprawling cast of collaborators.
Bhosle’s presence on the record has a special place in the hearts of many listeners, particularly because The Mountain was among the last projects she worked on. Albarn told The Sun that she is “one of the most important living Indian singers—and maybe even the best,” adding that “everyone in India knows her music.” Her appearance on the record now carries an added poignancy, giving the album another connection to an artist whose voice has been part of Indian music for generations.
The arrival of an international act at this scale also adds another major date to the Northeast’s live music calendar. Guwahati audiences will get to see Gorillaz without having to travel to another city, while the show adds another large-scale international performance to a region with a long and varied relationship with live music.
Gorillaz will close their first Indian tour in Guwahati on January 31, following shows in Bengaluru and Mumbai. After spending years drawing from Indian music and culture while making The Mountain, the band will finally bring the record to the country that helped shape it.
The UK based band will perform at the Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati on January 31, 2027, adding Assam to the previously announced dates in Bengaluru on January 23 and Mumbai on January 27. The Mountain Tour, produced and ticketed by District, will close in Guwahati after its first two Indian shows.
For the Guwahati show, Mastercard cardholders will get an exclusive pre-sale through the District app from 12pm on September 15 to 12pm on September 17, with a separate Mastercard access-only pre-sale running from 12pm on September 17 until 12pm on September 20. General sales begin at 1pm on September 20 through the District app.