Deep Purple has postponed two concerts in Germany after singer Ian Gillan was hospitalized with what the band described as a medical emergency. The affected shows were scheduled for October 31 at QI Arena in Leipzig and November 1 at Sporthalle in Hamburg.
The band announced the postponements on Saturday and said Gillan’s hospitalization made it impossible to perform the two dates as planned. Deep Purple said it understood the disappointment caused by the short notice and was working to find replacement dates.
Tickets already purchased for Leipzig and Hamburg will remain valid for the rescheduled concerts. The band has not announced new dates for either show.
Deep Purple did not disclose the nature of Gillan’s medical problem or provide details about his condition. Because the band has not released that information, reports suggesting that the issue is minor or not serious go beyond what has been publicly confirmed.
The group’s official tour schedule currently lists the next concert for November 3 at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany. A November 4 performance at Uber Arena in Berlin is scheduled to follow, with additional dates in Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon.
The European and UK leg is currently set to continue through November 25, when Deep Purple is scheduled to perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Before that final London date, the itinerary includes shows in Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, as well as a November 24 performance at London’s Eventim Apollo.
The band also has Latin American dates listed for December. Those shows are scheduled to begin December 5 in São Paulo, Brazil, followed by concerts in Santiago, Buenos Aires, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City.
Consequence reported that Gillan had been hospitalized during the band’s fall European tour and quoted Deep Purple’s statement announcing the postponements. Rolling Stone also reported the hospitalization and noted that the band had not explained what caused the medical emergency.
The current tour follows the release of Deep Purple’s 24th studio album, SPLAT!, which arrived on July 3, 2026, through earMUSIC. The band recorded the album with producer Bob Ezrin and released the songs “Arrogant Boy,” “Diablo” and “Guilt Trippin’” ahead of the album.
Deep Purple’s official website said the band planned an extensive 2026 touring schedule covering dozens of shows in countries across several continents. The two German postponements now interrupt that schedule while Gillan remains hospitalized.
Gillan, 81, has been one of the defining voices in Deep Purple’s history, but he was not an original member of the group. Deep Purple formed in 1968, and Gillan joined in 1969 after previously singing with Episode Six.
His arrival, along with bassist Roger Glover, created the lineup commonly known as Mark II. That version of Deep Purple also included guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.
Gillan’s first album appearance with Deep Purple came on Concerto for Group and Orchestra, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969. He then sang on a series of records that helped establish the band as one of the major hard rock acts of the 1970s.
Those albums included Deep Purple in Rock, Fireball, Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are. Gillan’s voice became closely associated with songs such as “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star” and “Child in Time.”
He left Deep Purple in 1973 after several years of recording and touring. Gillan later fronted the Ian Gillan Band and Gillan, pursued solo work and briefly served as Black Sabbath’s singer.
Gillan returned to Deep Purple in 1984 when the Mark II lineup reunited for Perfect Strangers. He left again in 1989, returned in 1992 and has remained the band’s lead singer since then.
The current Deep Purple lineup includes Gillan, Glover, Paice, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride. The group has continued recording and touring decades after its original formation.
Gillan’s hospitalization comes during a year in which another former Deep Purple member has faced a major health issue. Former bassist and singer Glenn Hughes announced in August that he was retiring from touring and live performances after doctors advised him to undergo another open-heart operation.
Hughes later said he underwent a 10-hour aortic valve replacement at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center and spent eight days in the hospital. In an October update on his official website, he said he was back home and gradually regaining his energy.
Hughes had undergone the same type of valve replacement in 2013. His 2026 surgery followed medical tests that led doctors to recommend another operation and prompted him to step away from live performances.
Hughes was part of Deep Purple after Gillan’s first departure, joining the Mark III lineup with singer David Coverdale. His tenure included the albums Burn, Stormbringer and Come Taste the Band.
Deep Purple was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Gillan, Glover, Paice, Blackmore, Lord, Hughes, Coverdale and original singer Rod Evans were among the members recognized as part of the induction.
The band has not announced whether Gillan has been released from the hospital or whether doctors have cleared him to return to the stage. It has also not announced any additional postponements beyond Leipzig and Hamburg.
For now, the next scheduled performance remains the November 3 concert in Dortmund. Any change to that date would determine whether the medical emergency affects more of Deep Purple’s European tour.