54 Years After Their Breakthrough Hit, Legendary ’70s Hard Rock Band Announces 2026 Tour Alongside Fellow Rock Icons
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More than five decades after releasing one of rock music’s most recognizable songs, Deep Purple is preparing to return to the road. The band, known worldwide for its 1972 hit “Smoke on the Water,” has announced a new North American tour that will bring together several well-known classic rock acts.
The announcement came through a recent Instagram post confirming that Deep Purple will share the stage with fellow 1970s rock group Kansas. The tour begins on Aug. 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and will travel across major cities including Detroit, Indianapolis, and Calgary before concluding on Sept. 12 in Sparks, Nevada. Several dates will also feature Jefferson Starship as part of the lineup, adding another familiar name from the era.
Tour Details and Ticket Information
The upcoming run highlights the continued popularity of bands that defined hard rock radio during the 1970s. Fans attending the shows can expect performances of well-known songs that helped shape the genre, including the guitar-driven tracks that made Deep Purple an international success.
Presale tickets for the tour will be available starting Tuesday, March 31, using the code DPBAND. General ticket sales will open Friday at 10 a.m. local time. The announcement quickly drew attention online, with longtime listeners expressing excitement about seeing multiple classic acts performing together on one bill.
While the band continues to tour regularly, each new run carries added meaning as members reflect on a career that has lasted more than half a century. Despite changes in the music industry and shifts in popular taste, Deep Purple has maintained a steady presence through live performances and new recordings.
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New Album Nearing Completion
Alongside the tour news, fans also received confirmation that Deep Purple is preparing to release new music. Frontman Ian Gillan discussed the upcoming album in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, offering insight into its theme and tone.
“It’s basically very optimistic,” Gillan said. “Let’s say there’s a general theme. It’s a fairly loose conceptual idea of the end of humanity, but not as grim as it sounds. In fact, it’s very optimistic. It’s about the metamorphosis of humanity into a metaphysical state, our next incarnation.”
Bassist Roger Glover previously hinted at the project during a pause in touring activities in 2025, suggesting the band had been quietly working behind the scenes. “We’ve not been idle.”
“We’ve been working on and there’ll probably be an album [in 2026],” he said at the time. “This has been a welcome break, because we’ve been hard at it for several years. I think it was good to actually take a break. We did one concert in Brazil, a festival in June or something. And I think [there’s] three in Eastern Europe at the end of the year. But that’s it for touring. So [2026]I will [also] be a touring year.”
With both a new album and an extensive tour planned, the band continues to balance recording work with live performances as it enters another active chapter.
