Gorillaz have announced a handful of Australian shows, marking their first gigs in the country in more than a decade.

The virtual band’s two headline shows sit alongside their previously announced slot at the festival Splendour In The Grass, taking place in Byron Bay, New South Wales in July 2022. Tyler, The Creator and The Strokes have also been confirmed as co-headliners.

Tickets for the headline shows go on sale Wednesday October 6 from 9am local time via Secret Sounds.

The Australian tour follows the release of their latest album, ‘Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez’, which includes collaborations with Elton John, Robert Smith, St. Vincent, Peter Hook, Beck and more artists.

NME gave ‘Song Machine: Season One’ a four-star review upon its release in October last year, writing that “the virtual band continue to eschew tradition and expectation with a guest-heavy romp where punk sits effortlessly beside glitzy ballads”.

The band followed it up with a three-track EP last month, ‘Meanwhile’, which celebrates Notting Hill Carnival. Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn had previously discussed working on “carnival-themed” music.

“We’re really going back to the spirit of the first record [their self-titled 2001 album],” he told NME in June.

“It’s really exciting and we’ve been really enjoying it. It’s a nice kind of counter-balance to ‘The Nearer The Fountain…’, really. I’ve definitely needed a dose of something else after I finished that record. Steel pan drums and Casio MT-40s were always going to be a good cure.”

Gorillaz’s 2022 Australian tour dates:

JULY
Sunday 24 – Melbourne, John Cain Arena
Tuesday 26 – Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena