![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse3.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/gillan.jpg)
And here it is
The rest of the North American tour has been announced. It will start on August 4, 2026, in Raleigh, NC, and wrap up on September 12 in Reno, NV, for a total of 24 dates. 7 of which will be in Canada — that’s the most Canadian dates since the 2012 tour. Kansas will be supporting on all dates, plus Jefferson Starship added as a third act on selected ones.
Various ticket presales start tomorrow morning, March 30, password for the ‘artist presale’ is DPBAND. Most dates will go on general sale on April 2.
Full details in our calendar.
Thanks to Jim Corrigan and Tobias Janaschke for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
This is amazing!
This is stamina and perseverance, strength!
Deep Purple 🤩💜
March 30th, 2026 at 21:46Sadly they’re not playing in Edmonton, AB as one of they’re Canadian dates. Might have to drive down to Calgary for the show.
March 30th, 2026 at 22:14Already have my tickets for the Royal Albert Hall show! This show is going to be EPIC!
Always wanted to see Kansas, had tickets twice and both show got canceled!
Though they’re basically a tribute band, the couple YouTube videos I’ve watch of the current lineup were pretty impressive!
My 2 favorite bands together!!! Steve Morse would make a special guest appearance??!
March 30th, 2026 at 22:16Yes!! Sept 6 they are playing 4.5 miles from my home! I just set my alarm for Thur 10am when tickets go on sale.
March 31st, 2026 at 03:47Nice news for our friends on the other side of the Atlantic!
And Kansas, it makes you think… What if they invite their old friend Stevie for a friendly appearance in a gig? What would the “living and breathing Deep Purple” do on such an occasion 😛
March 31st, 2026 at 06:28I have a dream:
to see DP playing with Steve “Sometimes I feel like screaming” in Steve’s backyard (Clearwater, FL). That would be the “farewell” he has more than deserved.
And Kansas with Steve guesting opening for them (well these are two dreams)
Two reasons why it is a dream: first, I will never make it to the US and the second is well-known by all of us 🙁
March 31st, 2026 at 06:39Nice… last show of the tour and less than 10 miles away.
I see that Ticketmaster is selling the tickets… not so nice. Can’t see the price yet my butt already hurts just knowing they’re involved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJxxIFv4k48
March 31st, 2026 at 07:14I always see the band when they come to Vancouver, but this time Deep Purple
March 31st, 2026 at 08:55will be performing in Abbotsford, a 10 minute walk from where I live. Ha ha.
Here’s hoping they won’t drag Starship along once more for the german dates …
March 31st, 2026 at 11:16Coming to California, good reason to visit my brother 🤣
March 31st, 2026 at 12:03Well, at least with Kansas Steve has played more recently …
https://youtu.be/WOR4gWuIbug
Get out that violin, Steve!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuVE1fYQZCM
March 31st, 2026 at 12:10All set with four tickets for the August 12 show at the legendary Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh, NY.
March 31st, 2026 at 14:22Until then, The Black Crows and Whiskey Meyers in Bridgeport, CT, on June 17.
And, finally, the event of the year, The Royal Albert Hall on November 25!
It is shaping up to be a decent Summer/Fall, with, hopefully, more to come.
Except if Steve can’t come because of something, it will tear me apart as a fan if they do not think to invite him to at least one of the concert. The man who played with them 28 years deserves proper farewell
Cherry on the pie would be Kansas will also invite Steve at the same concert (since their set might be shorter, perhaps to play violin in Dust in the Wind)
March 31st, 2026 at 17:06I hear you, Max, Starship are a travelling jukebox who don’t even want to afford a real bassist, triggering the bass sound instead from the keyboard. Yuck!
The best opening acts for DP I have seen were Uriah Heep one time and The Brandos another. Oh, and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Bananas Tour.
March 31st, 2026 at 20:11I saw Kansas in the Ft Lauderdale area in 1980.. years have gone. Had to google, it was at the Hollywood Sportatorium. Seems like Purple played there a few times too. At the time I happened to see an unknown act called The Police at a night club/bar, think it was called Playpen South. They (Police) did well later..
March 31st, 2026 at 21:17Mudwrestling and wet T-shirt contests was on the meny too.. 🙂
Am I the only one not happy with these tour dates? I was anticipating this year’s tour but I am very disappointed. They didn’t plan any major metropolitan cities like NYC and these other dates are so far out of the way from major cities, unless you live in Canada. I wonder how the promoters plan this itinerary?
April 1st, 2026 at 01:23@16: No, you are most likely not the only one disappointed. Every time the band announces a new tour, people show up and have opinions about the band not playing their area. I have all respect for people who can’t move freely due to various reasons but for most people, it is possible to travel a bit to see a show. For many of us, that has always been the solution if we want to see something.
But looking at the dates again, & have a hard time understanding what you mean. They play Jones Beach outside of NY. They play Vegas, Long Beach, Indianapolis, and the Boston, and Chicago areas.
April 1st, 2026 at 07:10Uwe, first I was looking forward to seeing another legend – havn’t really followed their career – but very soon we got very bored. This Starship didn’t really take off. Yep, living jukebox indeed. A bit Betriebsfeier bei der Versicherung vibe.
I remember Bad Co opening for DP – and even though of course it wasn’t really Bad Co because Paul Rodgers wasn’t fronting them they were enjoyable.
Oh – and DIO of course in Pforzheim. Now that was value for money.
Lynyrd Skynyrd … now we’re talking. Should have been the other way round back then in 2003 in Karlsruhe. I hate to say it but Skynyrd kinda made DP look pale. We were like 8 people attending the show together. I remember the silence in the car on the way back … we had chartered a van … until I said something to the effect of that it had not been DP’s best night. Sighs of relief. “Oh, Max, we didn’t want to hurt you … but if you say so yourself … Skynyrd blew them away …”
April 1st, 2026 at 08:56@11
> Get out that violin, Steve!
Uwe, since he brings it along, maybe it would be the perfect opportunity for him to play the “Love conquers all” intro with our guys 😂
April 1st, 2026 at 11:19@ 16 and 17
April 1st, 2026 at 15:38If I’m being honest I am a little disappointed with the tour dates as well. If you’re only going to play one NYC area show it has to be either the Beacon Theatre or Radio City Music Hall. Playing way out in Wantagh is not a good location especially in the summer. The traffic there is brutal and why not play a show in New Jersey? They always play at the Pnc Bank Arts Center and they can play in Atlantic City as well. I could easily go on with more locations but I’ll stop there. I got my tickets for Massachusetts the day after the Wantagh show. Yes it’s a further drive for me but a much better one. I’ll stay overnight somewhere. Don’t get me wrong I am extremely grateful to have at least this one. It may be the last time. Everyone’s getting older including me.
Lynyrd Skynyrd … now we’re talking. Should have been the other way round back then in 2003 in Karlsruhe. I hate to say it but Skynyrd kinda made DP look pale. We were like 8 people attending the show together. I remember the silence in the car on the way back … we had chartered a van … until I said something to the effect of that it had not been DP’s best night. Sighs of relief. “Oh, Max, we didn’t want to hurt you … but if you say so yourself … Skynyrd blew them away …”
I saw that band combination in Bad Arolsen at the Hessentag and while DP (just barely) held their ground on this particular gig, Lynyrd Skynyrd were indeed excellent and went down extremely well. So well in fact, that Ian Gillan pushed for DP including more hits into Purple’s (therefore increasingly more static) set for future tours. LS of course essentially gave a rerun of their One More From/For The Roach epochal live album plus I think one or two songs from their then most recent album Vicious Cycle. It was pretty much a slightly abridged version of this set here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzLq8s-MbbI
I actually saw Lynyrd Skynyrd again as recently as last year, they still know how to entertain, but by now their set is strictly 70s material.
PS: Manic Miner, oh yes, that would be priceless to see Ian Gillan painfully work his way through the lyrics and melody of Love Conquers All! 😂😂😂 It was Jon who once said in an interview that Big Ian could/would have turned the song into something special while it was disheartening to witness Joe approaching it “like a cabaret singer” with his choice of melody and words.
April 2nd, 2026 at 06:32@17 and 20 I’m not schlepping to Long Island or boarding a plane these days to Massachusetts, Indiana, California or Las Vegas! 🤣 NYC is usually a hot spot for rock bands to play on their tour, that’s why I’m surprised. I’m sure my bank account will thank me later 🤣
April 3rd, 2026 at 00:28#16: The locations are the usual ones for their US summer tours for the most part, including Jones Beach, but I was surprised by the size of the venues in some places.
I’ve been looking at first day sales on Ticketmaster and Quebec, for example, looks almost unsold. Most of the other dates too. If that’s any indication of their drawing power right now, theaters might have been a safer bet for them at this point. But I guess Live Nation knows what they’re doing.
April 3rd, 2026 at 06:32#23 Daniel, Re: Quebec – Last tour stop there (August 2024), same venue that I have seen the band at each tour, they had the place very packed, not sold out, but it was the biggest audience since the 85 Reunion Tour. So, they still have the drawing power there, no doubt. The only thing that may be affecting sales is the price of the tickets!! It’s gotten bloody ludicrous!! There’s no doubt that these prices will force great fans on a modest budget to stay away! That’s almost criminal. Somehow they have to get control of these money grabs. I’m sure this is well out of the band’s hands. DP isn’t the only one affected. My son and I picked up two tickets for Sabaton in Montreal, because it was cheaper to drive there, and back, fuel included, than pay the prices they wanted for a seat in Ottawa! (I’m well-past the standing-up-all-night age) It’s a new Ottawa venue and they have driven me away before I even got there!! I feel really bad for a lot of good fans that can’t afford to go see their favouite band(s)!! 🙁 It will be intersting to see how sales go here at The Canadian Tire Centre (Our NHL hockey arena). They have a good following here, but not as large as Quebec IMHO.
April 3rd, 2026 at 20:19Jim, it seems floor tickets are 158 CAD / 98 EUR for Quebec. Not cheap but not the highest I’ve seen either and roughly in line with what they’re charging in Europe for floor tickets (without Kansas). Lower than what Rush is charging. I was just surprised to see even the best seats are still available.
April 4th, 2026 at 05:47@24
“The only thing that may be affecting sales is the price of the tickets!! It’s gotten bloody ludicrous!!”
Same thing for September 12th in Sparks, NV; about 10-12% of the seats are $58 another 12-15% of them are $68 (these are bleacher-type seating) and the remainder (traditional seats) are $100 -140 that’s not counting service charges and other fees they will add. No wonder there are still plenty of tickets to go around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFyGuuJJfKU
April 4th, 2026 at 08:19I paid way more than I thought I ever would but we are in the 5th row of what could very well be their last US tour as DP and to me it’s surely worth it!
April 4th, 2026 at 11:53Russ, you envisage going to a Sparks gig? I thought I was the only one waving their flag here. Such brilliant siblings. Seen them about half a dozen times.
I was always under the impression that their own home country had a hard time “getting them”, but this year they have apparently decided to take the risk of a full US tour with a dozen dates or so. In Europe, Sparls gigs (albeit in smaller to medium-sized halls) are always sellouts, they have their devoted cult following., a mix of the LGBTQ crowd, urban intellectuals you would normally rather meet at a modern theater play and a few arcane music lovers/collectors.
April 4th, 2026 at 12:02Pricing appears to be local. The Mountain View show has pavillion seats going for 54-89 USD and that looks pretty much unsold too.
April 4th, 2026 at 12:51#28: Sparks is a town as well, Uwe.
April 4th, 2026 at 14:02@30 Yes, but it ain’t big enough for the both of us (Sorry, couldn’t resist)
April 4th, 2026 at 16:54Can`t complain about tour date locations they`re playing.Purple has been really accessible to us in the NYC metropolitan area over the years,but Jones Beach is God awful,horrible hour drive from Manhattan and mass transit is a train and a bus from the City.Good luck getting that Bus back after the show,ain`t happening.The Sound there is mediocre and if your looking for a flat $15 beer,your out of luck,no alcohol sold at NY state parks,which is where Jones beach is.But its good to see them playing in places people did`nt have access before.As for those Skynyrd comments,the 2001 US tour,had Nugent open then Purple,Skynyrd was the headline.Deep Purple opened with Woman from Tokyo,closed with a blistering version of Highway Star,we had Jon Lord then.Skynyrd was good but all those Skynyrd fans I went with,all the way out to the lot, were still up in the air how good Purple was.I did hear the opposite about Europe back in `03.But Don`t worry Purple Child 22, Hopefully we`ll catch them next time.
April 4th, 2026 at 21:20😂 One lives and learns!
April 4th, 2026 at 21:58Uwe, that was so funny I forgot to laugh…
April 5th, 2026 at 02:02#32: One hour by car to a show is next door?
April 5th, 2026 at 10:27@35: It’s NYC we’re talking about. You can drive for an hour and not leave the city. Probably considered next door.
What I usually find weird is that Americans in general doesn’t seem to be very keen on travelling very far for shows. Both you and I, Daniel, have travelled pretty far to see shows.
Sure, we can see in the comments here that there are people from North America coming to RAH this fall but for years now, comments about how hard it is to drive for two hours has been the standard opinion about tour schedules.
Meanwhile, I’m happy to jump on my motorbike for a bunch of hours, including a long ferry trip, from the south of Sweden to Berlin to see the band. And most importantly, meet fellow fans!
April 5th, 2026 at 11:01I’ve vice versa travelled to Stockholm to see Ian Hunter, Copenhagen for Sparks or in the other direction to Vienna to see Nick Simper.
Generally, I view anything within a two to three hour drive within reasonable reach. But for gigs like Sparks (the band, not the town as I’ve now learned!), I regularly have to travel to Berlin or other European capitals because they have very much an urban audience. I have a Paul Simon gig in Berlin lined up next week.
The Rhein-Main-Region where I live used to be a hub for international artist gigs, it was basically mandatory for bands to play there. The many US Forces garrisons we had were the reason, always guaranteeing sold out venues. But as the size of these garrisons dwindled and many were given up in the 90s, so did the Rhein-Main-Region’s status diminish as a mandatory touring arena.
April 5th, 2026 at 11:53@36: It’s not that Americans don’t like to travel far for shows, it’s what we”re driving into that matters. Many years ago when I was much younger we once drove 1,000 miles from New Jersey to Florida to see Deep Purple and make a vacation out of it. Trust me unless you live near there no one wants to drive to Jones Beach (Wantagh) in August. If there is no one on the road I could make it there in about 2 hours however, with just the normal traffic it’s about 5 hours. I’d rather drive to Massachusetts for 4 hours and keep moving. @32 says it’s a God awful drive from Manhattan, I say try making that drive from central New Jersey and don’t forget you got to get home after it’s over. I’m going to Massachusetts and staying overnight. As I said in my previous comment if you’re not playing the places you would normally play in New Jersey or Pennsylvania then you’ve got to play in New York City. The Beacon Theatre or Radio City Music Hall. Maybe those venues weren’t available at the time.
April 5th, 2026 at 13:11#35…Guess you never drove in Long island,besides the place sucks…I was at the Brixton in 93 and ’96 and the Royal albert show in ’99,it was easier to get to them.
April 5th, 2026 at 19:13Thanks George #38
April 5th, 2026 at 19:32Is it getting better? No. No. No.
Unsolicited advice to the Purps: Play far fewer shows. Crank out more new music. I know, the money’s in touring, but these guys can’t possibly still need to rake in the dough.
Also, play smaller venues. How about an unplugged tour?
Gillan’s voice is shot three shows into these long tours. With lower volume, he might be able to stay in key more often.
Gillan struggles — I’m being kind — these days to pull off certain songs onstage with his greatly reduced range. While the musicianship is still at a high level, they should have no problem moving the keys to certain songs down a fifth or so to give him a fighting chance.
On a completely different subject, my wife and I were in Stowe, Vt., last week. Found some Deep Purple news in the semiannual Stowe magazine. An article in which the band is mentioned begins on Page 208. A photo of the room in which the Perfect Strangers LP was recorded can be viewed as it is now on Page 230. https://issuu.com/stoweguideandmagazine/docs/stowe_guide_magazine_winter_spring_2025-26
Cheers
April 5th, 2026 at 20:1286 dates in total starting next week , that is some schedule over 8 months. Gillan should swallow his pride and get some backing singers in to help him out, my money is on him not lasting the full tour. Good luck to them , I hope I am wrong.
April 5th, 2026 at 20:24@38:
April 5th, 2026 at 20:47it’s all about $$$: neither Beacon Theatre nor Radio City Music Hall are owned by the Live Nation, but Jones Beach is. why no gig in PA or NJ? there could be gazillion of reasons — venue availability, routing, scheduling, etc, etc. the band most definitely didn’t decide that they won’t play there, it was the promoters and booking agents.
@39:
April 5th, 2026 at 23:11No I totally get it. The promoters and booking agents are in charge of this. The band basically goes to where they’re told to go. There are always reasons why it is what it is but to only have one show in the New York City area that’s located in the worst possible location for fans to get to is really a bummer. Especially since they play in NJ and Pa every tour. Jones Beach is managed and operated by Live Nation but it is owned by the state of New York.
George Martin @20
April 6th, 2026 at 15:10I hear you about this tour’s lack of NYC shows, especially The Beacon Theater. It is my favorite venue in the US, especially for the opera-like hall acoustics. I have seen DP there quiet a few times, including on the 2011 tour with the orchestra.
I do not blame you for driving to Boston for the August show. We live in CT, and on a good day we can get to LaGuardia in around 45 minutes and to JFK in about one hour, but traffic is so unpredictable that most times it is usually double those times. Not to mention the total chaos of getting in and out of JFK these days due to the current construction.
We are currently in the Careabeans for Easter break and flew out of Boston Logan despite usually taking two and a half to three hours for us to get there. The airport experience is usually a breeze and more than makes up for the longer drive.
Who knows, maybe we will decide last minute to drive up to Boston and stay overnight to see that show as well. It will depend on how late we get home that early morning from the Jones Beach show.
Obviously, Long Island traffic is awful, especially in peak summer, but it was not too bad getting to and from the Yes/DP show at Jones Beach on Sunday, September 1, 2024. I guess it helps to be going opposite traffic in the early evening while day beachgoers make their way back from the shore.
I have seen DP at Jones Beach a handful of times (before the venue renovation) including with Dio and Scorpions, and separately with Alice Cooper and Judas Priest. The most recent and extensive renovation of $20 Million seems to have transformed the venue for the better. And the venue operator seems to be striving for a more enhanced customer experience. For instance, if I recall correctly, at one of the more recent DP gigs there, there were signs throughout the different bars advertising a fancy looking cocktail titled “Deep Purple”. You can guess its color 🙂
In the past, the acoustics at Jones Beach could sometimes be a bit of hit or miss, but in recent years, to my untrained ears, the sound seemed consistently fine. I am not sure if this improvement was related to the renovations. Also, the venue’s huge parking lot tends to become a decent, civilized pre-show tailgating scene with many people setting up folding tables and chairs and playing music from their cars while waiting for the show to start.
Enjoy the Boston show, and safe travels.
@37
I can‘t see DP live this year, BECAUSE they are playing in Frankfurt/Festhalle. The last two times( 2022 and 2023) I saw them in Stuttgart, that’s the only venue I can reach without a car and taking two days off and book a hotel.
As a teenager I lived in „Mittelhessen“ and could have seen them easily in Frankfurt, but as I told you, my parents….
April 6th, 2026 at 16:41#42 Terry:
I hope your prophecy doesn’t come true and that everything goes well on the tour, I have two dates to see in July and October and I pray every day that health be with the Purple!
I’ve even calculated that BigIan will lose his voice, the important thing is that he’s well enough to do the whole tour!
April 6th, 2026 at 22:23Thank you George Martin! I am in total agreement with you. It’s a shame they didn’t add another date in NYC or Jersey. Long Island is too far of a drive! 😬
April 6th, 2026 at 23:26Beate @46:
I can think a couple of venues in Germany which are indeed impossible to reach without a car, but Frankfurt Festhalle is definitely not one of them. C’mon, you have the best train system in Europe, if not the world.
April 6th, 2026 at 23:37Sad they’re still ignoring Australia on this current “world tour” … we miss out once again !
April 7th, 2026 at 04:52@49
Hello Nick,
where do you live? “C’mon, you have the best train system in Europe, if not the world.” lol – with only 40% of the trains in time, and missed train connections!
Last year, I visited an old friend whom I had not met for years. The way to her was quite fine because the train was just 2 stations on its way when I joined and it took me “only” 3 and a half hour to get there (another hour from Frankfurt) – everything in time. But the way back was horror: train delayed more than an hour, I missed every train connection and was “train-hopping” and arrived 3 hours late at home.
April 7th, 2026 at 07:00So you won’t do that at night after a gig and get home in the early morning. The only possibility is to take two days off and book an hotel and (in my case) risk a real relationship crisis (the poor man likes “german Schlager”). So it is as it is…
@46
Sweetie, if I had to walk to Copenhagen I would!
I live on the peninsula Jylland, and the concert is taking place at the capital in Denmark, but yeah, I’m there in October.
And a week later in Hamburg 😃
Hope so much you can find a way out 🙏🏼
April 7th, 2026 at 08:21All ye Yanks, the fact that in 1988 I worked in Midtown Manhattan and took public transportation after work to see Van Hagar at the Nassau Coliseum, does that turn me into some kind of logistical hero for you? 😂
It was a great gig and getting there and back no issue. I reached my then home in Brooklyn around an hour after midnight no sweat.
April 7th, 2026 at 10:04@53:
April 7th, 2026 at 16:20Logistical hero is a bit of a stretch. There are trains for the way you needed to go. It doesn’t always work out that way for everyone else. If you worked in midtown Manhattan you probably took a train from Penn Station ( underneath Madison Square Garden ) out to Long Island to the Nassau Coliseum. After the show you took a train to Brooklyn. Public transportation is great if it’s available. In most cases it’s not.
Yeah, Penn Station, I remember!
April 7th, 2026 at 21:38@51:
Canada. but I’ve probably seen more Purple shows in Germany that any other country. exactly because it’s so easy to get around.
sh*t happens. the only time I caught a train in Germany that was significantly late (~30 minutes for ICE from Dresden to Frankfurt), DB people went down the train and offered everybody vouchers for 50% discount off the next ride.
when there’s a will, there’s a way 😉
April 7th, 2026 at 22:46My last show was The Rapture of the Deep in 2006 in Amsterdam.
I think it has become harder and harder to reply when someone asks me what my favourite band is.
I agree the current line up instrumentally is professional but having been one of the biggest Gillan fans I m not able to endure to witness him for years now.
Add to that the discomforts of lravelling and insane ticketprices.
In the long gone days by they gave shows in Rotterdam, then to leave us for that other city.
I m afraid nowadays I d not even go if they came back here.
Cheers
April 8th, 2026 at 13:47I agree, RV. The Now What?! tour was the last DP concert for me. No desire to see them live anymore. Gillan’s voice was at its peak on Superstar, the Concerto (in ’69), and In Rock. It was passable live until the Rapture tour. Simon is a superb banjo player but Steve is missed. I still look forward to their studio releases. Live, it’s become, sad to say, cabaret.
April 10th, 2026 at 13:55A longtime friend DP fan sometimes tries to lure me into attending gigs which often are Italian originated.
https://youtu.be/I3xTuy_Ng-4
Not sure why but aside the strong instrumental parts I dont feel for hearing Italian lyrics .
Right now I m very depresse, aching back….. to cut it short, said no, and wonder if I maybe am already deceased somehow.
But not being able to sit when I dont feel my better me…..?
Its not always this bad though.
But when I dissociate and seem to be able to get “something”out of music its almost always the old stuff.
I still can enjoy blossoming shrubs I once planted.
RG once said “Change is good.”
I never agreed.
It seemed an argument drawn in to cover up a bad choice.
Yes, it CAN turn out good but for 30 years their choice for Morse embellished my tendency to feel like like shit.
During April I regularly play the song as my meds.
For me, that short MK1 period stands above anything Morse era did.
Sorry, Steve, you seem to be a very kind man but….
April 11th, 2026 at 16:28