Deep Purple Singer Ian Gillan, 81, Hospitalised After Medical Emergency, Leipzig and Hamburg Shows Postponed

Deep Purple have postponed their concert in Leipzig tonight and their concert in Hamburg tomorrow after singer Ian Gillan, 81, was taken to hospital following a medical emergency.

The band announced the decision on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The Leipzig show was due to take place tonight at the QI Arena, and the Hamburg show was due tomorrow evening, Sunday, November 1, at the Sporthalle. Both shows are postponed, not cancelled, and the band said tickets already bought will stay valid for the new dates.

What the band said

In their statement, Deep Purple said: "With great disappointment, Deep Purple must announce that they are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at the QI Arena (Leipzig) and tomorrow evening at the Sporthalle (Hamburg). This comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalisation."

The band added: "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 statement said all tickets purchased will be valid for the rescheduled dates. It also said the band and their team are focused on finding a suitable time to reschedule both shows. No rescheduled dates were announced in the statement, so fans in both cities have a promise, but no new date yet.

What is not known

The band did not specify the nature of Gillan's medical emergency. They gave no timeline for his recovery, and no diagnosis has been made public. Any claim about the cause that goes beyond the band's statement is unconfirmed, because the statement is the only account the band has given so far.

What is clear from the statement is the order of events. A medical emergency involving the singer led to his hospitalisation, and the hospitalisation led the band to stop the two German shows at short notice. The announcement reached fans on the day of the Leipzig concert itself, which is why the band spoke directly about the short notice in their words to fans.

The tour and the line-up

The two German dates are part of the current leg of Deep Purple's Splat! world tour. Leipzig was the first of the two affected nights, followed a day later by Hamburg. With both nights now postponed, the next step named by the band is the search for new dates that work for both cities.

Gillan first joined Deep Purple in 1969. He leads the current line-up, which also includes Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride. That line-up was due on stage in Leipzig tonight and in Hamburg tomorrow, and it is the line-up that fans with tickets will be waiting to see when the two shows are rearranged.

For now, the confirmed facts are short and plain. Gillan, at 81, is in hospital after a medical emergency. Two shows, in Leipzig and in Hamburg, are postponed. Tickets stay valid, the band and their team are working on new dates, and the band has said nothing yet about what caused the emergency or when Gillan might recover. Any further word on his condition will have to come from the band.