Deep Purple’s European tour has hit an unexpected setback after Ian Gillan was hospitalized following a medical emergency, forcing the band to postpone two concerts in Germany.
The group was due to play Leipzig on October 31 and Hamburg on November 1, but announced the cancellations on Saturday after the 81-year-old singer was taken to hospital. No details have emerged about what happened or Gillan’s current condition.
In a statement, Deep Purple apologized to fans for the disruption and said it was working to find replacement dates. Tickets for both shows will be honored at the rescheduled performances.
The news comes less than a year after Gillan spoke candidly about the health challenges he faces on the road. In November 2025, he revealed that his eyesight had deteriorated to the point that he could see only around 30 percent of what he once could. Although he said he had adapted to the impairment, he acknowledged that the prospect of retirement was becoming more real.
“I think if I lose my energy I’m going to stop,” he said. “I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone.”
For now, the band’s touring plans remain in place beyond the two postponed German dates. Deep Purple are scheduled to return to the stage in Dortmund on November 3, followed by a Berlin show the next night. Their U.K. run is due to begin in Newcastle on November 18, with dates in Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester before two London performances on November 24 and 25.
That final concert will take the band back to the Royal Albert Hall, where they first performed Concerto for Group and Orchestra in 1969. The current tour is in support of Splat!, their 24th studio album, released in July and produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin.
There has been happier news for Deep Purple fans this year, too. In August, founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore joined Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice onstage in New York for a performance of “Smoke On the Water” — the first time he had reunited with his former bandmates in 33 years. Blackmore subsequently called the experience “very emotional.”
