Ritchie Blackmore plans to join Deep Purple onstage for the first time in more than three decades. The former Deep Purple guitarist, who last performed with the band in 1993, revealed the news during a recent Instagram Live stream.
“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. But you can’t tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret. And will it? I suppose so,” Blackmore said.
Blackmore is expected to join Deep Purple during the band’s headlining concert on Wednesday, August 12, at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.
“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. 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 detailed his preparations for the appearance. He mentioned a soundcheck with his roadie and the small but loud amplifier he typically uses for recording.
“I have my roadie there kind of now, setting up my amplifier. 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.”
He went on to reflect on the years since he last performed rock music. “So, that’s gonna be interesting. I have not played rock music in 25 years, actually. 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.”
Blackmore’s final performance with Deep Purple took place in 1993, closing a defining chapter in the group’s history. His proposed return is expected to be limited to a single encore song rather than a full set.
The Jones Beach concert is part of Deep Purple’s 2026 North American tour. The Wantagh date is set for August 12 at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater. The band will continue its run the following night at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Kansas is scheduled to appear as the special guest at the Jones Beach show. The bill pairs two veteran rock acts. Deep Purple is set to headline the concert. The show is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
The performance would also place Blackmore alongside Deep Purple’s current guitarist, Simon McBride. Blackmore’s comments suggest that the reunion is intended as a brief tribute to the band’s past rather than a permanent return to its touring lineup.
