When Gorillaz first appeared at the turn of the millennium, they did not feel like a conventional band arriving with a conventional record. They felt like a glimpse of what music could become: a meeting point between sound, animation, technology and visual storytelling. What began in 1998 as a collaboration between Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett quickly grew beyond the boundaries of a musical project, creating a universe where hip-hop, electronic music, dub, pop and alternative rock could exist side by side, and where the line between reality and imagination seemed to disappear.

    At Primavera Sound Porto, Gorillaz returned to Parque da Cidade carrying almost three decades of history with them. But this was not simply a concert built on nostalgia. The band appeared as what they have always been: a project in constant transformation, capable of looking back without becoming trapped by the past, combining songs that have defined generations with new ideas and collaborations that continue to expand their universe.

    The connection with the world created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett stretches across several different eras. Their appearance at Isle of MTV in Lisbon in 2002 came at a time when Gorillaz were still introducing the world to their debut album and when the concept behind the band seemed to have arrived from the future. Back then, the project carried a sense of mystery that was difficult to compare with anything else: real musicians performing on stage, but with a visual identity dominated by the characters 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel, brought to life through a language that merged concert, animation and storytelling.

    Gorillaz did not invent the use of visual elements to transform a live performance into something larger than a traditional concert. In the early 2000s, several artists were exploring new relationships between stage and audience. In Portugal, for example, performances such as Gotan Project’s appearance at Paredes de Coura during that period showed how shadows, projections and atmosphere could completely alter the experience of a live show. But what Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett achieved was taking that idea into another territory: they transformed the visual element into a complete identity, with characters, narratives and a universe that extended far beyond the stage.

    More than two decades later, at Primavera Sound Porto, the feeling was different. The initial mystery was no longer the same, because Gorillaz had moved from being a groundbreaking novelty to becoming one of the most recognised names in contemporary music. Yet the ability to surprise remains intact. The band no longer needs to prove that it is different; its own history has become the evidence.

    Watching the performance between a group of people from Dublin on one side and another group from Liverpool on the other led to an interesting conversation about what fans are looking for from Gorillaz today. The feeling was that many were not there simply to experience the band’s latest chapter, but also to reconnect with the moment when everything felt new and unpredictable. There was a desire to recover the sense of discovery from those early years, when a Gorillaz performance was an experience that brought together music, imagery and the feeling of witnessing something entirely different. But that nostalgia did not represent a rejection of the present. Quite the opposite: Gorillaz’s greatest strength has always been their ability to evolve. The band never remained trapped in the success of “Clint Eastwood”, “19-2000” or “Feel Good Inc.”. They continued searching for new directions, new sounds and new collaborators, keeping the project in constant motion.

    Musically, the Primavera Sound Porto performance reflected that journey between different eras. Opening with “The Mountain”, the band introduced its latest phase before moving through different moments of its career with songs such as “Tranz”, “19-2000”, “Rhinestone Eyes” and “El Mañana”. With each track, it became increasingly clear how naturally Gorillaz continue to combine electronic music, hip-hop, pop and alternative rock without losing their own unmistakable identity. As has always been the case throughout the group’s history, collaboration remained central to the experience. Joe Talbot of IDLES joined the band for “The God of Lying”; Kara Jackson appeared on “Orange County”; Moonchild Sanelly featured on “With Love to an Ex”; Yasiin Bey brought his presence to “Stylo” and “Damascus”; while Bootie Brown renewed his historic connection with the group on “Dirty Harry”. These appearances reinforced one of Gorillaz’s greatest strengths: their ability to create a meeting point between different genres, cultures and generations. More than a traditional band, the project has always functioned as a creative platform where different artists can find common ground.

    Towards the end of the night came two of the most anticipated moments: “Feel Good Inc.” and “Clint Eastwood”. These are songs that have long escaped the circumstances in which they were created and continue to serve as a bridge between longtime fans and newer listeners. For those who have followed the band since the beginning, they represent a return to a period of discovery. For those who arrived later, they remain entry points into a universe that continues to expand.

    The greatest challenge for any band with almost 30 years of history is avoiding the transformation of its legacy into a museum piece. Gorillaz have escaped that fate because change has always been at the centre of their identity. Nostalgia exists, and it remains a fundamental part of the emotional connection many fans have with the group, but it has never been their only argument.

    At Primavera Sound Porto, the audience was not simply witnessing a celebration of the past. They were witnessing the continuation of an idea that began almost three decades ago: the possibility of a band existing between different worlds, between real musicians and imagined characters, between what we already know and what is still waiting to be discovered.

    Perhaps that is the true reason why Gorillaz remain so relevant. The characters may have been born as drawings, but the music has always been deeply human. Between memories of the early concerts, when the band seemed to anticipate the future, and the current era in which they continue to reinvent themselves, one feeling remained clear: Gorillaz are still doing what they have always done best — turning change into identity.