Gorillaz Immersive Exhibit Lands in Brooklyn, Counting Down to Madison Square Garden Show
Gorillaz House of Kong has opened at Brooklyn's Agger Fish Building, running through September 28, with the band set to play Madison Square Garden the very next day. Tickets start at $61.
On opening day, The FADER team walked through Brooklyn's Agger Fish Building, a former fish market turned exhibition space. The hour-long route first walks visitors through the band's full origin story and introduces the identities of its four virtual members, before gradually leading into hand-drawn sketches, storyboards, and models. This ground-up approach means even those unfamiliar with Gorillaz can follow along without needing to do any homework beforehand.
Gorillaz House of Kong opened in New York on September 1, presented as a one-time-only touring format that won't be repeated, having previously been staged in both London and Los Angeles. The exhibit runs only through September 28, with Gorillaz set to play Madison Square Garden the very next day, September 29 — a timing connection that's unmistakably deliberate.
The exhibition was built by SWEAR studio, with creative director Stephen Thomas Gallagher having overseen the visual design for all of Gorillaz's live performances since 2018. The content includes previously unreleased character sketches by Jamie Hewlett, music video storyboards, and a large-scale 3D model recreating the island setting from the "Plastic Beach" album. According to the official press release, the exhibition narrative traces from the band's original formation and its breakthrough into the pre-digital music scene with "Tomorrow Comes Today," all the way through to this year's ninth studio album, "The Mountain."
Gorillaz was co-created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett in 1998, with its four members being lead vocalist 2-D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle, and drummer Russel Hobbs — this virtual band concept forms the backbone of the entire exhibition. The venue also features a gift shop selling exclusive merchandise.
Tickets are timed-entry only, starting at $61 including tax and fees, and must be booked online in advance to secure admission.