Deep Purple postpone tour after Ian Gillan required ‘urgent medical attention’
The band were due to perform in Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London in November as part of their Splat! World Tour.
Deep Purple have postponed their UK and Europe tour after Ian Gillan required “urgent medical attention” following a problem last week.
In a statement following the incident, which saw two gigs postponed in Leipzig and Hamburg over the weekend, the 81-year-old said continuing the tour would present “very serious risks” and thanked fans for their support.
Gillan said: “Dear Friends, thank you for all the good wishes and support over the last few days, it means the world.
“I had a medical problem whilst in Leipzig, which required urgent attention at the hospital.
“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 2026 tour until further notice.
“I’m very sorry about any inconvenience this may cause, but it’s in the best interest all round. Thank you for your understanding.”
No further ticketing information has been shared.
The band, who are best known for songs such as Smoke On The Water, Highway Star and Black Night, were due to perform in Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London in November as part of their Splat! World Tour.
In an announcement, which came just hours before the band were due to perform at Leipzig’s Quarterback Immobilien Arena on Saturday, they expressed “deep disappointment” at having to cancel the shows.
The post said: “Deep Purple regret to announce that tonight’s Leipzig and tomorrow’s Hamburg shows cannot go ahead due to a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, who is currently hospitalised.
“We apologise to our fans.
“We understand that this announcement comes at short notice and share the disappointment of all our wonderful fans that we are unable to perform in Leipzig and Hamburg.
“Deep Purple and their team are focused on finding a suitable time to reschedule both these shows.
“All tickets purchased will be valid for the rescheduled dates.”
When Gillan joined Deep Purple in 1969, he formed part of the band’s Mark II line-up alongside bassist Roger Glover, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.
The new line-up marked a shift towards a heavier hard rock sound, moving away from the psychedelic style of the group’s first two albums.
The Mark II line-up are known for a trio of critically acclaimed albums in Deep Purple In Rock (1970), Fireball (1971) and Machine Head (1972).
Gillan left the band in 1973 and went on to pursue a number of solo projects, most notably with his band, Gillan.
He also spent a short time as the frontman of Black Sabbath before rejoining Deep Purple in 1984.
Gillan left again in 1989 before returning in 1992, and has remained the group’s lead singer ever since.
The band’s current line-up is made up of Gillan, Glover, Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride.