Back to News
Damon Albarn to make ‘SNL’ debut with Gorillaz
Music•February 13, 2026 at 8:13 PMNational

Damon Albarn to make ‘SNL’ debut with Gorillaz

By Emma Wilkes•NME Music News

Gorillaz will be performing just after the release of their forthcoming album 'The Mountain' The post Damon Albarn to make ‘SNL’ debut with Gorillaz appeared first on NME.

Damon Albarn will be performing on Saturday Night Livefor the first time with Gorillaz at the beginning of next month.

Gorillaz will be the musical guest on the late night show on March 7, with Ryan Gosling taking the reins as host for the fourth time.

Their appearance on the show will follow the release of their forthcoming album, ‘The Mountain. It has been previewed so far by six singles, ‘The Hardest Thing’, ‘Orange County’, ‘The God Of Lying’ (featuring Idles), ‘The Happy Dictator’ (feat. Sparks), ‘The Manifesto’ with Trueno and late D12 member Proof, and ‘Damascus’.

The latter features Syrian superstar of Bedouin music Omar Souleyman and rapper/singer Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def), and was also given a live preview at the huge Together For Palestine charity gig at Wembley Arena, organised by Brian Eno last year.

Other artists who have joined Albarn and Jamie Hewett for the record include Black Thought, Asha Puthli, Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Paul Simonon, Johnny Marr, The London Arab Orchestra, Demon Strings, Chris Storr, James Copus and Matthew Gunner.

In March, Gorillaz will head out on a UK and Ireland tour, which includes a one-off headline show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Before then, the band will also play some warm-up shows in Bradford, and go on to make stops at numerous European festivals over the summer, including Electric Picnic, Primavera Sound Barcelona and Porto, and Rock Werchter. Visit here for tickets.

Last year, Albarn opened up about how the record was partly inspired after both he and Jamie Hewlett lost their fathers and went to India to cope with the grief.

“I did things I’d never done before. I swam in the Ganges in Varanasi. I watched the bodies being burnt on the banks of the Ganges. I took my dad’s ashes there and I cast them in the river. It was very beautiful.”

The post Damon Albarn to make ‘SNL’ debut with Gorillaz appeared first on NME.

Related News

‘When it went double platinum, Andy Burnham gave us the award’: how Courteeners made Not Nineteen Forever
EntertainmentMusicMusic News

‘When it went double platinum, Andy Burnham gave us the award’: how Courteeners made Not Nineteen Forever

‘In nightclubs, I’d be the dude scribbling lyrics in the corner while everyone else was dancing or copping off’I had the...

The Guardian Music16 hours ago
The missed opportunity of Jay-Z’s documentary series
EntertainmentMusicMusic News

The missed opportunity of Jay-Z’s documentary series

Jay-Z in 8, the rap mogul’s HBO docuseries, covers his life and career in effort to mend his image – with no pushback. W...

The Guardian Music19 hours ago
Fontaines DC: Dopamine Chamber review – gloomy, gorgeous and a gargantuan triumph
EntertainmentMusicMusic News

Fontaines DC: Dopamine Chamber review – gloomy, gorgeous and a gargantuan triumph

(XL)This is a beguiling, endlessly inventive and frequently astonishing fifth LP from a group at increasing ease with be...

The Guardian Music1 day ago
The Beach Boys’ Mike Love returns to the stage despite ‘facing serious health challenges’
EntertainmentMusicMusic News

The Beach Boys’ Mike Love returns to the stage despite ‘facing serious health challenges’

The 85-year-old was helped on stage by actor John Stamos, who shared an emotional message about his ‘musical hero and me...

The Guardian Music1 day ago
There’s more to our music than Oasis, says Manchester mayor
UK NewsEntertainmentMusic

There’s more to our music than Oasis, says Manchester mayor

Bev Craig pledges £2m in funding to nurture local artists by improving access to rehearsal and production spaceThe Manch...

The Guardian - UK News1 day ago
‘I’d wander through the park all angsty listening to Arctic Monkeys’: Arlo Parks’ honest playlist
EntertainmentMusicMusic News

‘I’d wander through the park all angsty listening to Arctic Monkeys’: Arlo Parks’ honest playlist

The singer shamelessly blasts Lady Gaga in the car and is brought to tears by Portishead – but which song does she have...

The Guardian Music1 day ago

More From These Categories

No other articles in this category yet.