Former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who last performed with the band in 1993, revealed that he plans to join Deep Purple onstage for the first time in more than three decades. Blackmore shared the news himself during a recent Instagram Live stream. The reunion is set to take place during the band’s headlining concert on August 12 at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.
In the livestream, Blackmore discussed the surprise appearance. He explained how the plan came together and revealed some of the preparations he has made ahead of the show.
“There is something we wanted to mention about tomorrow night… Well, it is a secret and I don’t want anybody to know, but I’m probably get up and do an encore with the band, Deep Purple,” Blackmore said. “But you can’t tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret. And will it? I suppose so.”
He went on to describe how he reached out to current Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan to arrange the surprise appearance.
“I actually called up… I didn’t call him up, I sent my A.I. pigeon to [Deep Purple singer] Ian Gillan in Portugal, where he lives at the moment,” Blackmore continued. “And I said, ‘How would you feel about if I got up just for an encore? Just one of the songs. I don’t want to intrude.’ And I said, ‘No pressure — just kind of [for] old times’ sake.’ I’m 81 now. So he seemed to love the idea, put it to the band, got a thumbs up, and it looks like we might be doing that.”
Blackmore also touched on the practical preparations for his return to the stage, including equipment and rehearsal details.
“I have my roadie there kind of now, setting up my amplifier,” he said. “But I’ll be using a small amplifier, but it’s very loud. It’s what I use when I record. I hope I can compete with the [current Deep Purple] guitar player [Simon McBride], ’cause I can see that he has very big amplifiers behind him. So, it’d probably just be the one number, as it’s been a while. I changed my strings on my Strat, which I haven’t done in over 25 years… I hope the guy out in the front can turn me up. I’ve got my roadie there for a soundcheck.”
Blackmore reflected on his long absence from rock music. He shared his thoughts on reuniting with his former bandmates.
“So, that’s gonna be interesting. I have not played rock music in 25 years, actually,” he said. “It’ll be good to see the old guys again. I think we’ll all be on crutches and wheelchairs and things, although I think the rest of them are okay. But, yes, it’s kind of frightening. I haven’t played rock in 25 years… I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years, and at first I was very uncomfortable playing it, but I got used to it, and now I’m used to playing the acoustic more so than the electric.”
The planned reunion carries significant weight given the history between Blackmore and his former band. His three-decade absence from the Deep Purple stage makes this appearance a rare and notable event for longtime fans of the classic lineup.
The Jones Beach show falls in the middle of Deep Purple’s current North American tour, which also features Kansas as the special guest. The tour arrives just weeks after the release of Deep Purple’s new album, “SPLAT!” It gives the Wantagh crowd a chance to hear a mix of new material alongside the classic catalog that made the band famous.
This will not be the first time Blackmore has returned to the fold for a special occasion. The classic Deep Purple lineup of Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice reunited for the album “Perfect Strangers” in 1984. That reunion remains a high point in the band’s long and storied history.
Tickets for the August 12 show at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater have been in high demand. The 15,000-capacity venue is expected to draw a packed crowd for what is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about nights of Deep Purple’s 2026 tour run.
Fans in attendance, and those following along from afar, will finally get their answer when Deep Purple takes the stage in Wantagh. All eyes will be on whether Blackmore’s surprise encore becomes reality.
