Deep Purple cancel Leipzig and Hamburg shows as frontman Ian Gillan is hospitalised

Two shows called off

Deep Purple have cancelled two concerts on their SPLAT! World Tour, the first at Leipzig's QI Arena on Saturday, 31 October 2026, and the second at the Sporthalle in Hamburg on Sunday, 1 November. The band announced the decision on its Instagram account on Saturday, only a few hours before the Leipzig show was due to start. The cancellations follow a medical emergency involving frontman Ian Gillan, who is 81 and remains in hospital. The band has not disclosed the cause of his illness or given any update on his condition. Fans have flooded the band with messages of support, according to the Evening Standard.

The band's statement said:

“This comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalisation.”

The rest of the German leg

The Leipzig concert was to open the German leg of the tour, with six arena shows planned and Jayler announced as support. The band has not said whether the remaining German dates will go ahead as planned. Its website still listed the Dortmund show on 3 November, Berlin on 4 November, Frankfurt on 6 November and Nürnberg on 7 November without any change. After Germany the tour is set to continue to Amsterdam, then to France and the United Kingdom. According to the band's label, the tour comprises 86 concerts in 28 countries on three continents, and shows in South America and Mexico follow in December.

Tickets and rescheduling

Ticket holders for Leipzig and Hamburg do not need to return their tickets. The band says all purchased tickets will be valid for the make-up dates, and the band and its team are working on finding a suitable time for both shows. The announcement came with very little notice, which the band acknowledged. No replacement dates have been announced yet.

“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.”

The band and its lineup

The cancellations interrupt a busy period for the group. Shortly before them, Deep Purple released the single 'Splat!' with a music video, the title track of its 24th studio album, which came out in July and was produced by Bob Ezrin. The current line-up comprises Simon McBride, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Don Airey alongside Gillan. Gillan first joined the band in 1969, according to the Evening Standard. He left in 1973, spent a short time fronting Black Sabbath, rejoined in 1984, left again in 1989 and returned in 1992, and has been the lead singer ever since.