For the first time in 12 years, beloved virtual band Gorillaz are returning to SA to headline Illuminate Festival. 

Eclectic and enigmatic English band Gorillaz recently announced a new stop to their 2022 Australian tour – Adelaide. The band will be touching down in SA to headline Illuminate Festival, performing a mix of new material and older classics. Their set will commence on Thursday, 28th July, and needless to say, the feeling is good.

Adelaide Entertainment Centre will be hosting the Illuminate Festival; a month-long celebration of arts, culture and music. Illuminate has described the festival as “Australia’s newest major event” and it’s a claim that’s generously supported. Alongside Gorillaz, Illuminate will feature performances from electronic veterans The Avalanches, as well as visual art displays, large scale light-installations, and plenty of other musicians.

The Gorillaz set is going to be especially memorable for a few reasons. Of course, it’s the bands’ first performance in Adelaide in over a decade, but also, the band have enlisted a 20-piece ensemble to be led by Daman Albarn. Expect to hear material that spans the bands’ impressive 7 albums.

Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn created the Gorillaz in 1998, alongside animated band members Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, Noodle, and 2-D. The bands’ virtual aesthetic and ability to traverse multiple genres such as hip-hop, alt-rock, and dance, have cemented the band as a cultural phenomenon.

Over their 24 years of creative output, the band have released classic albums such as 2004s Demon Days and most recently, 2020s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.

As part of their 2022 World tour, the Gorillaz will also be stopping at NSW and Victoria. The band are co-heading Splendour in The Grass, Friday, 22nd July, performing at John Cain arena, Sunday, 24th July, and Qudos Arena, Tuesday, 26th.

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