Deep Purple Postpones the Rest of Its 2026 Europe and UK Tour
Ian Gillan, 81, said carrying on after his hospital treatment in Leipzig would involve very serious risks. Fifteen shows, from Dortmund to the Royal Albert Hall, are off, with tickets valid for rescheduled dates.
Deep Purple has postponed the rest of its 2026 Europe and UK tour. Fifteen shows are off, from Dortmund on Tuesday to London on November 25.
The band said singer Ian Gillan, 81, needed urgent hospital treatment in Leipzig last week. Gillan said he had hoped to get the all-clear to finish the tour. His doctors advised against it.
“I had a medical problem whilst in Leipzig which required urgent attention at the hospital,” Gillan wrote in a statement on the band’s website. “I was hoping that I would get the all clear to hang on until the end of the tour, but there are very serious risks involved in me doing so.”
“As a result, and on the advice of my medical team and management we have made the decision to postpone the rest of the European/UK tour until further notice.”
What was postponed
The trouble started last weekend. Deep Purple called off its October 31 show in Leipzig and its November 1 show in Hamburg, saying Gillan had suffered a medical emergency and was in hospital receiving care.
Dortmund on November 3 was supposed to be the return. Instead it became the first of the 15 postponed dates. The rest of the run, billed as the SPLAT! Europe Winter 2026 tour, followed in the same announcement.
In Germany: Dortmund on November 3, Berlin on November 4, Frankfurt on November 6, and Nuremberg on November 7. In the Netherlands: Amsterdam on November 9. In France: Strasbourg on November 10, Bordeaux on November 12, Nantes on November 13, and Lyon on November 15.
In the United Kingdom: Newcastle on November 18, Glasgow on November 19, Birmingham on November 21, and Manchester on November 22, followed by two London shows, the Eventim Apollo on November 24 and the Royal Albert Hall on November 25.
Tickets and what comes next
The band said all tickets purchased will be valid for the rescheduled dates. It has not announced replacement dates yet, and said its team is focused on finding a suitable time to reschedule the shows.
Venues have begun posting their own notices. Glasgow’s OVO Hydro confirmed the postponement of its November 19 concert and told ticket holders to keep their tickets while revised arrangements are worked out.
The announcement covers the Europe and UK tour only. It does not say anything about the band’s separately scheduled December concerts in South America and Mexico. Gillan did not specify the medical problem, and the band has not given a date for his return to the stage.
Deep Purple formed in London in 1968. Gillan has fronted the band, on and off, since 1969, and sings on the records most people know them by, including “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star,” and “Black Night.” The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and has kept touring ever since. This time, the tour stopped because the singer could not safely go on.
