Gorillaz are celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band by launching ‘House of Kong’ – a new exhibition showing at London’s Copper Box. Take a peek at what is on offer below.
The exhibition opened today (August 8), and will be available for a limited time, closing on September 3.
Held at London’s Copper Box, the gallery offers fans a look behind the curtain of the virtual band’s headquarters, and offers insight into the journey they have had since sharing their 2000 debut single ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’, up until now.
Gorillaz are helmed by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, and made up of bassist Murdoc Niccals, singer 2D, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle. The new exhibition is made in collaboration with Albarn, Hewlett and Eleven Management, and was developed by artist and creative director Stephen Gallagher and his studio, SWEAR.
“House of Kong is not a retrospective, it’s an audio-visual artwork; an installation that takes a glance backwards in order to identify the path ahead,” Gallagher said. “It’s an honour to have been part of the Gorillaz family over the last eight years.
“The outpouring of music and art that I have found myself immersed in, has changed my life. Maybe The House of Kong will change yours? This is no ordinary exhibition because in the world of Gorillaz, nothing is ever quite as it seems…”
View this post on Instagram
For the most part, what the gallery consists of remains a surprise for those who visit, although some teasers have been shared online. These show various pieces of artwork and posters from across the band’s time together, as well as sculptures and behind-the-scenes clips of the recording process.
Exclusive merch is also on offer, and you can visit here for tickets and more information.
Alongside news of the exhibition, Gorillaz have announced four special live shows at the Copper Box Arena, taking place across this month and the beginning of September.
The gigs will see Albarn joined on stage by the full Gorillaz live band and backed by visuals by Hewlett. They’ll also see the band revisit iconic live shows from their early days, performing each record in full, in a limited-capacity setting.
Buy tickets here and check out a list of upcoming shows below.
Gorillaz’s live shows at Copper Box are:
AUGUST
29 – ‘Gorillaz’ (self-titled debut)
30 – ‘Demon Days’
SEPTEMBER
02 – ‘Plastic Beach’
03 – Mystery Show
This year has also seen Albarn tease a new Gorillaz album, and suggest it will be arriving later in 2025. “I’m finishing a new Gorillaz album. One opera and one new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025,” he told French magazine Les Inrockuptibles. “Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!”
Hewlett then added fuel to the fire, writing in an Instagram comment: “Yes, the new album is coming out this year.”
Last month, Albarn then revealed that he’s been “incredibly busy making music” – and said the “new Gorillaz record is in four languages”.
Gorillaz’s last album, 2023’s ‘Cracker Island’, was given a four-star review by NME and described as “a consistently enjoyable record that shows why they remain relevant so far into their career.”
“A band that was once considered mucking about on the periphery of pop are now very much defining the present and inspiring the future. You could be doing much worse for album eight, eh?” it read.
