Deep Purple were forced to shelve the remaining dates of the European leg of their Splat! world tour as frontman Ian Gillan received “urgent” medical attention.
The legendary rock band pulled the plug on their October 31 concert at the QI Arena in Leipzig, Germany and November 1 show at the Sporthalle in Hamburg.
The 81-year-old singer updated fans on Monday (02.11.26), revealing that his medical team had advised him not to proceed with the rest of the tour because it would be too risky.
A social media statement read: “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 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.
“Cheers, IG.”
The Perfect Strangers singer did not reveal the condition that forced him to postpone the tour.
In the summer, Deep Purple reunited with Ritchie Blackmore, and he later admitted it could be the “last time” he sees his bandmates.
The 81-year-old guitarist, who co-founded the group in 1968 and hadn’t performed with them for 33 years, rejoined the rock legends to play Smoke On The Water at a show on August 12 in Wantagh, New York.
He told Guitar Player magazine: “It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately.
“I couldn’t warm up, but I wasn’t there to be playing correct notes. I was there to see old friends I hadn’t seen in 40 years and were all getting older. I think we realised it could be the last time we see each other, maybe.”
Ritchie first left the band in 1975 as he went on to form Since You’ve Been Gone rockers Rainbow.
He later reunited with Deep Purple from 1984 to 1993, when he left for the second time in the middle of a world tour.
His appearance with the band marked his first reunion with them since that departure.
Ritchie explained: “I woke up one morning thinking, the day before their show, ‘You know it would be good for the fans if I just got up for one song, probably Smoke and just show that were not at each other’s throats and don’t hate each other’.
“Candice, my wife, got me in touch with Ian Gillan and I said, ‘What do you think about me getting up for Smoke?’
“His exact words were, ‘It made me smile.’ He then put it to the band and it was thumbs-up all around.”
Ritchie hadn’t played live in a full-on rock environment since 2019 with Rainbow, and while he was nervous, he was more focused on rebuilding bridges than making things perfect.
He said: “I still lost my place at one point, but it’s not why I was there. I was there to heal any wounds — but there weren’t any wounds.
“Everyone was like, we were in the army, all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment.”
