Ritchie Blackmore Reunites With Deep Purple Onstage for First Time in 33 Years

Ritchie Blackmore returned to the stage with Deep Purple for the first time in 33 years on August 12, 2026, joining the band at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. The 81-year-old guitarist, who co-founded the band, came out to play “Smoke on the Water” alongside the current lineup, closing out his first live performance with Deep Purple since 1993.

• Blackmore last performed with Deep Purple in 1993 before Wednesday’s appearance.
• He revealed the plan a day early, on August 11, during an Instagram Live with his wife Candice Night.
• Current members Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride shared the stage with him.
• Blackmore said he received a lumbar steroid injection at Stony Brook University Hospital the day before the show and restrung his Fender Stratocaster for the first time in over 25 years.

How Ritchie Blackmore’s Deep Purple Reunion Came Together

Blackmore let the surprise slip a day ahead of the show during a livestream on Instagram with Candice 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,” he told viewers, adding, “But you can’t tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret. And will it? I suppose so.”

He explained that he had reached out to Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan, who lives in Portugal, through what he jokingly called an “A.I. pigeon.” According to Blackmore, he asked Gillan, “How would you feel about if I got up just for an encore? Just one of the songs. I don’t want to intrude,” reassuring him there was “no pressure” and that it would just be “for old times’ sake.” Blackmore said Gillan liked the idea and put it to the rest of the band, who gave it a “thumbs up.”

What Happened Onstage at Jones Beach

Blackmore joined Deep Purple for a run-through of “Smoke on the Water” to cap the band’s regular set at the Wantagh show. Once the song wrapped, Ian Gillan addressed the crowd about how the reunion had come about, saying, “A couple of days ago, I got a message from a local lad… I got a letter from this man saying, ‘I only live around the corner. Do you mind if I come and jam with you?'” Gillan then called Blackmore “the founder member, the great legend, the immortal Ritchie Blackmore,” before adding, “Thanks, Ritchie. I have to say it was a great pleasure. I’ll see you in the bar.”

Ritchie Blackmore’s Long Estrangement From Deep Purple

Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 and led the original lineup through 1975. He rejoined the band in 1984 but exited for good in 1993 following friction that surfaced on that year’s European tour, including an incident at a filmed show at Birmingham’s NEC Arena where he arrived late for the opening song, played erratically, and threw a glass of water at a camera operator. The split became final after a show in Helsinki, Finland on November 17, 1993.

Blackmore did not attend Deep Purple’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 after the band’s manager, Bruce Payne, would not allow him to perform alongside the current touring lineup that night.

The Health Hurdles Blackmore Overcame to Perform

Blackmore said he has been dealing with a string of physical setbacks in recent years, including a vertigo episode that forced the cancellation of 2025 tour dates with Blackmore’s Night, along with chronic arthritis, gout, a previous heart condition, and a back problem involving four herniated discs. To get through the Jones Beach performance, he said he received a lumbar steroid injection at Stony Brook University Hospital the day before the show so he could stand while playing.

He also said he changed the strings on his Fender Stratocaster for the first time in more than 25 years to get ready, and had a roadie travel ahead to set up his amplifier rig. “I have not played rock music in 25 years,” Blackmore said, noting he had spent that time focused on acoustic guitar with Blackmore’s Night.

More Info

• Ritchie Blackmore’s Surprise Decision to Reunite With Deep Purple | Loudwire
• Watch Ritchie Blackmore perform with Deep Purple for first time in 33 years | NME
• Watch: RITCHIE BLACKMORE Performs With DEEP PURPLE For First Time In 33 Years | Blabbermouth
• Ritchie Blackmore Set to Play With Deep Purple After 33 Year-Estrangement | Rolling Stone
• Watch Ritchie Blackmore perform Smoke on the Water with Deep Purple for the first time since 1993 | Far Out Magazine
• Ritchie Blackmore Performs With Deep Purple for First Time Since Acrimonious Split in Early ’90s, After Warning Fans: ‘I Have Not Played Rock Music in 25 Years’ | Variety Music
• Ritchie Blackmore Reunites with Deep Purple After 33 Years, Performs "Smoke on the Water" | Consequence
• Watch Ritchie Blackmore perform onstage with Deep Purple for the first time in more than 30 years: "A couple of days ago I got a message from a local lad, ‘I only live ‘round the corner – do you mind if I come and jam?’ | MusicRadar