DEEP PURPLE returned to South Korea for the first time in 16 years on April 18, 2026, performing at Culture Park at the Paradise City Resort in Incheon. The 17-song set ran one hour and 50 minutes, covering classics including "Highway Star," "Smoke on the Water," "Perfect Strangers," and "Hush."
The band's current lineup features three living legends of British rock: vocalist IAN GILLAN (80), drummer IAN PAICE (77), and bassist ROGER GLOVER (80) — men who helped define hard rock in the early 1970s. Guitarist SIMON McBRIDE (47), who stepped in for STEVE MORSE in 2022, and keyboardist DON AIREY (77) complete the group.
Beyond the South Korean concert, GILLAN confirmed that DEEP PURPLE are finishing a new studio album targeted for a June 2026 release. He described it as exploring "the metamorphosis of humanity into a metaphysical state" — a characteristic DEEP PURPLE blend of the grandiose and the cryptic, from a band now holding 22 studio albums.
The summer of 2026 will see DEEP PURPLE launch a North American tour beginning August 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina, followed by a UK tour in November. The band's last album, =1 (2021), was met with critical praise across the rock and metal press.
After more than five decades, DEEP PURPLE continue to demonstrate that the classic hard rock spirit remains a living, breathing force.