Ian Gillan was hospitalized after a medical emergency, and Deep Purple canceled two shows on its SPLAT! world tour. The band said it could not perform Saturday night in Leipzig or Sunday evening in Hamburg, putting two Germany dates on hold while the frontman recovers.
Leipzig and Hamburg dates
Two upcoming tour dates were pulled from the schedule: the QI Arena in Leipzig and the Sporthalle in Hamburg. Deep Purple said the cancellations came as a result of Gillan’s medical emergency and that tickets already sold will remain valid for the rescheduled performances.
With the band now trying to find suitable new dates, the immediate practical issue for ticket holders is simple: keep the existing tickets and wait for the replacement announcement. No new dates were announced with the cancellation, so the shows stay in limbo even as the tour itself continues through December.
Deep Purple on the road
Deep Purple has been on the road for its SPLAT! world tour since early August, with performances scheduled through December. The cancellations cut into that run, but they do not erase the route the band has already laid out across the tour calendar.
Gillan joined Deep Purple in 1969 after leaving Episode Six, one year after the band formed in London in 1968. The current setback lands at a moment when the group is already used to dealing with health-related interruptions: Glenn Hughes stepped away from touring and live performances in August because he said he needed another open-heart surgery.
The better reading for fans holding Leipzig and Hamburg tickets is not panic but patience. Deep Purple has said the tickets stay good, which is the only concrete instruction available right now, and the next meaningful update will be the rescheduled dates themselves.
