Orlando is getting first crack at the new Gorillaz era. The band will launch the North American leg of The Mountain Tour at the Kia Center on Sept. 17, kicking off a coast-to-coast run behind their ninth studio album. The arena opener promises the animated visuals and guest-heavy set that have become a Gorillaz calling card, and it is a relatively rare full-scale headlining arena night for Damon Albarn and company in Central Florida.
Orlando date and venue
The Kia Center event listing pegs the Sept. 17 show for a 7:30 p.m. start, with special guests Little Simz, Deltron 3030, and Citi presales scheduled for early March, which gives Orlando the official opening-night slot, according to Kia Center. The announcement brings Gorillaz back to U.S. arenas after several years of more limited arena dates and festival appearances. Organizers say the production will blend the live band with the animated visuals that define Gorillaz shows.
Tickets and presales
The tour’s ticketing hub lists a general on-sale for Monday, March 9, at 10:00 a.m. local venue time, along with artist and sponsored presales in the preceding week, and it spells out presale sign-up steps and ticket limits, as detailed by Ticketmaster. Fans aiming for floor or lower-bowl seats will likely want to get into those presales or be fully logged in and ready to click at on-sale time, since opening-night dates tend to move fast. Mobile entry details and accessibility information are also available on the ticketing pages.
The album and short film
Gorillaz released The Mountain on Feb. 27, paired with an eight-minute Jamie Hewlett-directed short titled The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God, and critics report that the album was shaped in part by Albarn and Hewlett losing their fathers and by recording trips to India, according to NME. A stacked guest list and posthumous appearances give the record a layered, international feel that is expected to feature heavily in the new set. Fans should also hear long-running favorites from across the Gorillaz catalog woven in with the fresh material.
Support acts and tour route
The full North American routing shows the tour starting in Orlando and wrapping up with a Halloween-night finale in Seattle, with Deltron 3030 slotted as the opener on every date and Little Simz joining most of the shows, according to Pitchfork. The schedule lines up arena stops in major cities along with a festival appearance, offering several chances for fans to catch the production as it crosses each region. The run is produced by Live Nation and features VIP packages in select markets.
SNL debut and local demand
Before they touch down in Orlando, Gorillaz will make their first-ever appearance on Saturday Night Live on March 7, on an episode hosted by Ryan Gosling, a national spotlight that is expected to give the Orlando opener an extra bump in attention, according to NBC press materials reposted by The Futon Critic. For the hometown logistics, Kia Center’s visitor pages lay out directions, parking options, and arrival tips for downtown events, which are worth a look since nearby streets and garages can fill quickly on big-show nights, per Kia Center. Local fans eyeing that opening night would be wise to set reminders for both the presales and the March 9 general on-sale to avoid missing out.
