See Deep Purple live in Mansfield on August 13, 2026 at Xfinity Center, with Kansas and a set shaped by classics such as "Smoke on the Water" plus material from SPLAT!. If you are planning the trip, arrange your ticket purchase early and allow time for venue entry, parking and post-show traffic
Deep Purple brings a combination of classics and a completely new phase of the band to Mansfield
Deep Purple performs on August 13, 2026, at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, with the concert evening scheduled to begin at 6:15 PM. It is a stop on the band's current North American tour, just one day after its performance in Wantagh, New York, and before continuing toward Canada. For the audience, this means a concert at a time when Deep Purple is not living only off its own history: the band is also bringing material from the album SPLAT!, released on July 3, 2026, to the stage.
Deep Purple is one of the key bands in the development of hard rock, with songs such as "Smoke on the Water", "Highway Star", "Lazy" and "Space Truckin'". The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted the band among its performers in 2016. The current lineup consists of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride, the permanent guitarist since 2022.
It is worth securing tickets in time if the goal is to hear Deep Purple at a stage when the familiar catalog is being combined with new songs, rather than only with a retrospective program.
SPLAT! changes the context of the current tour
SPLAT! is Deep Purple's 24th studio album and arrived less than two years after the album =1. The band once again worked with producer Bob Ezrin, and before the album's release the songs "Arrogant Boy", "Diablo" and "Guilt Trippin'" were released. Ian Gillan described the new material as music whose dynamics, balance and sense of fun once again bring it closer to the period from which "Highway Star", "Smoke on the Water" and "Lazy" originate.
That fits well with what the audience can expect live. The new material is not separated as a completely different segment of the evening, but naturally builds on the band's older hard rock sound. "Arrogant Boy" is direct and fast, "Diablo" relies on riff and groove, while "Guilt Trippin'" shows how willing Gillan still is to use his voice as a dramatic instrument.
SPLAT! confirms that Deep Purple currently operates as an active studio band. For longtime fans, the concert therefore offers a comparison of different periods, while the newer material shows how the band sounds today.
What the performances so far in 2026 say about the repertoire
The exact setlist for Mansfield cannot be stated in advance, but recent performances on the same tour provide a good framework. At the concert in Raleigh on August 4 and in Clearwater on August 8, a combination of classics and newer songs was recorded.
Among the performed titles were "Highway Star", "Into the Fire", "Lazy", "When a Blind Man Cries", "Space Truckin'", "Smoke on the Water" and "Hush". Alongside them appeared songs from the album =1, including "A Bit on the Side" and "Lazy Sod", as well as material from SPLAT!, including "Arrogant Boy", "Diablo", "Scriblin' Gib'rish" and "Guinnesis".
Such a lineup shows the band's current concert logic: the classics remain the foundation, but the new album is not a passing footnote. Recorded performances also include guitar and keyboard solo sections. Previous setlists, however, are not a promise for Mansfield; the order and individual songs may change.
Who will find this concert evening especially interesting
The audience at the Xfinity Center can be very broad. Deep Purple attracts listeners who have followed the band for decades, but their catalog contains enough recognizable songs for the concert to work even for visitors who do not know every album.
It will especially suit:
- fans of classic hard rock and heavy rock who want to hear the genre's key riffs performed by a band that helped shape them
- longtime fans interested in how the current lineup interprets material from the 1970s alongside songs from =1 and SPLAT!
- guitarists and keyboardists for whom improvisation, solo sections and the relationship between guitar and the Hammond sound are an important part of the concert experience
- audiences who want an evening with several bands and a broad cross-section of classic rock, rather than a concert focused only on one album
Kansas is the confirmed guest of the evening
The Xfinity Center announces the concert as Deep Purple with guest Kansas, giving the evening a broader classic rock framework. Deep Purple also named Kansas in the announcement of the North American tour. The early 6:15 PM start should therefore be taken seriously when planning arrival.
Jefferson Starship also appears on the event listing for Mansfield. Because the schedule of individual performers and possible changes may depend on the specific date, it is worth checking the latest event schedule before arrival.
Xfinity Center is a large summer amphitheater, not an intimate venue
The Xfinity Center is located at 885 South Main Street in Mansfield. The open-air venue can accommodate up to 19,900 guests. It combines covered seating sections with a large lawn area, so the concert experience varies considerably depending on the position.
The covered sections and the large lawn area offer different concert experiences. The lawn area is not covered, so the weather can directly affect comfort. Because of the size of the venue, a longer entry time should also be expected; the Xfinity Center warns that getting a large number of visitors through the entrances takes time.
Ticket sales for this event are underway.
Key information for arrival
For the Deep Purple concert, the Xfinity Center currently lists the following schedule:
- address: 885 South Main Street, Mansfield, Massachusetts 02048
- the box office opens at 1:00 PM
- parking lots open at 4:15 PM
- ticket pickup opens at 4:15 PM
- gates open at 5:15 PM
- the program begins at 6:15 PM
- general parking is included with the ticket, while additional parking options are also available
The venue operator notes that the listed times may change. For that reason, it is sensible to check the schedule again on the day of the concert, especially if you are coming from another city or planning to enter shortly before the start.
Arriving by car and parking require some planning
The Xfinity Center is strongly oriented toward road access. For drivers arriving from the north, the recommended route goes via I-95 and I-495 toward Route 140 South, while for arrival from the south, I-495 North is listed, followed by Route 123 and Route 140. Visitors are asked to follow the main roads and signs and not to enter streets marked for local residents only.
General parking is included with the ticket. Different parking categories are also available that can shorten the exit after the concert or place the vehicle closer to the main entrances. Special rules and a separate parking lot apply to vehicles longer than 18 feet.
If you use rideshare or someone is dropping you off, the designated area is located near Lot 1. For pickup after the concert, drivers must enter the grounds before the traffic lanes switch to exit mode. For this evening, the Xfinity Center states that pickup drivers should be inside the parking area by 9:30 PM.
After the concert, additional time should be expected for walking to the vehicle and for directed outbound traffic.
Entry rules that can save time at the gates
The Xfinity Center uses security screening at the entrance, and bags are checked. Clear plastic or vinyl bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches and small bags up to 6 x 9 inches that do not have to be clear are permitted. Larger bags and other types of bags are not allowed.
An empty soft water bottle or a factory-sealed water bottle of up to one gallon may be brought in, but metal and glass bottles are not permitted. Food may be brought in inside a clear resealable bag of up to one gallon. Chairs for the lawn area cannot be brought in, although the venue offers chair rentals.
Entry is mobile, so it is wise to prepare the ticket on your phone before arriving at security. The venue is also cashless. Visitors without a card have the option of exchanging cash for a card at guest services.
The concert is held outdoors and the Xfinity Center treats it as a rain-or-shine event, except in conditions requiring a change to the program. For lawn seats in particular, it is worth checking the forecast and choosing footwear suitable for the terrain.
Why Mansfield makes sense in the tour schedule
The Mansfield concert comes during a very packed section of the North American route. Deep Purple plays in Clearwater on August 8, in Hollywood, Florida, on August 9, in Wantagh on August 12, and arrives in Mansfield the following day. After that, the tour moves to Halifax on August 15 and continues through Canada.
This position in the schedule gives the Massachusetts audience a concert right in the middle of the touring rhythm, after the band has already completed several U.S. performances and before a long run of Canadian and U.S. dates. Recent concerts in Raleigh and Clearwater also show that SPLAT! material has already entered the live repertoire.
For travelers, it is especially important to arrange transportation after the concert in advance, because the size of the parking lots and directed outbound traffic can significantly extend departure time.
How the evening might sound from the audience's perspective
The most interesting aspect of the current Deep Purple is not only the fact that the band still performs its old hits, but the way it places them alongside newer material. "Highway Star" and "Smoke on the Water" carry historical weight that needs no further explanation for a rock audience. But when "Arrogant Boy", "Diablo" or "Scriblin' Gib'rish" appear alongside them, the concert gains a contrast between the familiar and the new.
Simon McBride brings his own blues-rock approach to the existing catalog, while Don Airey, Roger Glover and Ian Paice preserve the recognizable instrumental core. Recent performances in 2026 show that solo sections and changes in dynamics continue to have an important place in the program.
If you want to be part of that combination of classic repertoire and the band's current phase, it is worth securing tickets in time and planning to arrive early enough to enter before the program begins.
Practical preparation before departure
It is most useful to think of this evening as a large summer concert with multiple performers. The early start, large parking area, security screening and open-air parts of the venue mean that a few small decisions can make the experience considerably easier.
Check the weather forecast, prepare your mobile ticket before arrival, use a bag that complies with the venue's rules and allow for traffic when leaving. If you have a ticket for the lawn area, keep in mind that the ground is exposed to weather conditions. If you are arriving by rideshare, arrange the pickup location and time before the end of the program.
The latest Xfinity Center schedule lists gates opening at 5:15 PM and the program beginning at 6:15 PM. Because the venue itself warns that large numbers of people at the entrances can slow passage, arriving in the final few minutes before the start is not a good plan.
Sources:
- Deep Purple - 2026 tour, band lineup, SPLAT! album and single announcements
- Xfinity Center - event date, address, capacity, parking lot and gate opening times, entry rules and arrival information
- setlist.fm - recorded repertoires from the Raleigh performance on August 4 and Clearwater on August 8, 2026
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - historical context and Deep Purple's influence on hard rock