Damon Albarn in Georgia: My 3 days with the Gorillaz Frontman
On May 24–26, 2026, renowned British musician Damon Albarn, frontman of Gorillaz and Blur, visited Georgia. During his three-day stay, I had the pleasure of being his private tour guide.
The trip was arranged after I was contacted by a representative of an English travel agency. Damon and his companion stayed at Hotel Kisi in Tbilisi.
There was an amusing moment at the beginning of their stay. Initially, the hotel staff did not recognise Damon and treated him like any other guest. However, once they realised who he was, they made an effort to give him special attention.
May 24 – Discovering Tbilisi
We began our first day exploring Tbilisi. One of our stops was a bikers’ bar opposite the former cinema building, where I introduced Damon and his companion to Georgian khachapuri.
Afterwards, we took the cable car up to Narikala Fortress and explored the streets of Old Tbilisi.
One of the most memorable moments of the day happened at the Dry Bridge flea market. Damon bought an old example of the Georgian alphabet. Initially, the seller was reluctant to part with it, explaining that it was his personal possession. Eventually, however, he agreed to sell it.
I found this episode particularly interesting. Despite having travelled around the world and experienced many different cultures, Damon showed genuine curiosity about the Georgian alphabet and decided to take a piece of it home.
In the evening, we walked along Shardeni Street. Our guests wanted to watch football, and during our conversation I that Damon was a big fan of Soccer,Tottenham Hotspur was playing that evening. After that, we said goodbye and prepared for the following day’s excursion.
May 25 – Mtskheta, Gori and Georgian History
The following morning, we left Tbilisi for a day trip outside the capital.
Our first stop was Jvari Monastery. The place made a strong impression on our guest, particularly because of its authenticity and the fact that the monastery has preserved much of its original architectural appearance over the centuries.
We then continued to Gori, where we visited the Stalin Museum. Damon showed considerable interest in the museum’s exhibits and the souvenirs associated with Stalin.
Later, we stopped in Mtskheta and visited Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, where he also purchased some religious items.
For lunch, we went to a restaurant called Terrace in Gori. They particularly enjoyed Georgian khachapuri. One of the nicest moments of the day was when our guests invited both the driver and me to sit at their table and have lunch together.
During our conversations, we touched on various subjects, including contemporary American politics, famous personalities and Georgia’s international connections.
Another interesting observation came from Damon when he noticed the street dogs in Gori. He commented that they were a good example of how people and dogs could coexist peacefully in an urban environment.
At the museum shop, he also bought a box of matches featuring Gorillaz artwork.
May 26 – Georgia’s Independence Day and Farewell
May 26 is Georgia’s Independence Day. We checked out of the hotel in the morning and continued exploring some other interesting places in Tbilisi.
One of our stops was Stamba Hotel, where our guests enjoyed coffee. From what I could see, Damon particularly liked the atmosphere and design of this place.
Afterwards, we visited a vintage poster shop near London Square in Tbilisi ,This was another place that caught his attention and which he seemed to particularly enjoy.
Later, we went to the restaurant Pasanauri, where we introduced our guests to Georgian khinkali.
Since it was Independence Day, there was considerable interest in the military celebrations and Georgian army uniforms. Damon watched them with curiosity and mentioned that he liked the style of the uniforms, saying he would like to have something similar.
During our conversations, he also raised an interesting question: what would Stalin have done if he had had access to artificial intelligence?
Finally, we drove to Tbilisi International Airport, where I said goodbye to our guests.
A little later, I received a message from the travel agency confirming that both Damon and his companion had been very happy with their stay in Georgia.
Mukhran guliashvili -Tour Guide Tbilisi
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