Deep Purple live in Athens: tickets for a night of hard rock at Telekom Center Athens on the SPLAT! tour

Deep Purple in Athens: hard rock classics and the new sound of the SPLAT! tour

Deep Purple will perform on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Telekom Center Athens, also known as the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall, in Marousi, north of Athens. The British band arrives in Greece as part of the European leg of its "SPLAT!" tour, named after the album released this summer. For the audience, it is an opportunity to hear musicians who helped shape hard rock, but also a band that brings new songs to the stage rather than relying solely on its own past.

Jayler, a young British rock band announced as a special guest, will perform on the same evening. The program therefore brings together different generations of guitar-driven music: Deep Purple with its distinctive interplay between electric guitar and keyboards, and Jayler with an energetic approach to classic rock. The concert is a one-day event, and announcements distinguish between doors opening at 19:00 and the program starting at 20:00. The exact stage times for each band should be checked before arrival.

Athens comes immediately after performances in Belgrade and Skopje and before the tour continues to Zürich, Milan and other European cities. Given the schedule and the size of the arena, visitors arriving from other parts of Greece or from abroad would benefit from coordinating their travel, accommodation and tickets in advance. It is worth securing tickets in good time, particularly if choosing between the standing floor and seated sections is important.

The SPLAT! album defines the band's current career phase

Deep Purple's latest studio album, "SPLAT!", was released on July 3, 2026, through earMUSIC. It is the band's 24th studio album, produced with Bob Ezrin, with whom the group has collaborated for many years. The songs "Arrogant Boy", "Diablo" and "Guilt Trippin'" were introduced as singles before the album's release. Their place in the band's current discography is important for understanding the tour: Deep Purple is presenting not only a retrospective of familiar hits but also material created with its present lineup.

The album's central idea concerns change and the possibility of transformation rather than a straightforward vision of the end of the world. Musically, this theme translates into powerful riffs, a prominent rhythm section and interplay between guitar and keyboards. "Arrogant Boy" opens the album with a direct hard rock attack, while "Diablo" is built around a pronounced rhythm and guitar-driven character. "Guilt Trippin'" offers a different opening, beginning with piano before developing into a denser sound. These are tangible differences that listeners can hear when exploring the new songs before the concert.

The previous album, "=1", released in 2024, had already marked an important period because it was the band's first studio recording with guitarist Simon McBride. Songs such as "Portable Door", "Pictures of You" and "Lazy Sod" demonstrated how a new member could contribute to the band's recognizable musical formula rather than merely reproduce the parts played by his predecessors. "SPLAT!" continues that development. For concertgoers who last saw Deep Purple several years ago, this means that alongside Ian Gillan's familiar vocal tone, they will also hear a new guitar dynamic.

Why riffs and the Hammond organ are Deep Purple's trademarks

Few guitar motifs are as instantly recognizable as the opening of "Smoke on the Water". The song comes from the 1972 album "Machine Head", which also includes "Highway Star", "Lazy" and "Space Truckin'". That album in particular helps explain why Deep Purple occupies a special position between blues rock, hard rock and early heavy metal. Their songs consist of more than heavy guitar passages: rhythmic changes, improvisational transitions and keyboards that frequently engage with the guitar on equal terms are essential elements of their sound.

In concert, "Highway Star" works as a fast, driving song with room for instrumental passages, while "Lazy" provides more space for a blues feeling and the development of musical ideas. "Perfect Strangers" belongs to another distinctive period in the band's history and brings a darker, more measured sense of tension. "Black Night" and "Hush" emphasize a more direct connection with the audience. The different parts of the repertoire reveal that Deep Purple has never had just one way of playing loud rock music.

Five musicians on stage and the role of Simon McBride

The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Its current lineup consists of singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride. Gillan's voice, Glover's bass lines and Paice's drumming style connect today's concerts with the band's classic period. Don Airey brings experience and distinctive keyboard passages, while McBride develops his own musical expression on guitar. Understanding this lineup matters because the concert is not an attempt to reconstruct the group of musicians pictured on the covers of old albums.

McBride joined the band after Steve Morse's departure in 2022. His playing leaves room for sharp riffs as well as melodic responses to Airey, fitting naturally into the approach Deep Purple has used to build its performances for decades. Longtime listeners may find it particularly interesting to compare familiar guitar passages with their current interpretations. For newcomers, the most important point is that they will be watching a well-rehearsed band whose members record, travel and perform together.

Which songs can be expected based on recent performances

The setlist for the Athens concert has not been confirmed in advance as a final list of songs. Nevertheless, performances on the current tour provide useful guidance. According to the recorded setlist from the Belgrade concert on October 10, Deep Purple performed "Highway Star", "Into the Fire", "Lazy", "Perfect Strangers", "Space Truckin'", "Smoke on the Water", "Hush" and "Black Night". Songs from the more recent period included "Arrogant Boy", "Diablo" and "Sacred Land" from the album "SPLAT!", as well as "Lazy Sod" from "=1". This information describes the previous evening and does not guarantee the same running order or the same songs in Athens.

Such a selection shows how the band connects different phases of its career. Faster songs create opportunities for a powerful collective rhythm, slower or blues-inspired sections allow more instrumental interaction, and familiar choruses naturally engage the arena. The guitar and keyboards often have their own prominent moments, but there is no reason to assume in advance any particular length of solos, encores or special visual effects.

Jayler opens the door to a new generation of British rock

Jayler is more than a passing name on the concert announcement. The British four-piece released its debut album, "Voices Unheard", on May 29, 2026, through Silver Lining Music. Songs on the record include "Down Below", "Riverboat Queen", "The Getaway" and "Bittersweet". Their style draws on pronounced guitar riffs, a blues rock heritage and vocals that seek direct contact with the audience. This connects them musically with the legacy Deep Purple helped create, although they perform their own material.

Jayler's lineup consists of James Bartholomew on vocals and guitar, Tyler Arrowsmith on guitar, Ricky Hodgkiss on bass and keyboards, and Ed Evans on drums. Their presence offers a reason to arrive early, especially for audiences interested in contemporary British guitar rock. No reliable detailed setlist has been published for their Athens performance, so the album can serve as an introduction to their sound rather than a prediction of the exact program.

Returning to Greece after Rockwave Festival

Deep Purple already has a more recent concert history in Greece. The band performed at Rockwave Festival on July 7, 2023, at Terra Vibe Park in Malakasa, north of Athens. Greek music media reported on that concert, noting performances of classics and the role of McBride, who was already the band's new guitarist at the time. The concert at Telekom Center Athens is therefore not a return after several decades of absence, but another opportunity to hear the band in a different venue and following another studio release.

Telekom Center Athens: a large arena with a standing floor and tiered seating

Telekom Center Athens is part of the OAKA Olympic complex in the Marousi district. The arena opened in 1995 and was long known as the OAKA Indoor Basketball Arena, while its current name identifies it as a multipurpose venue for sports and entertainment events. According to OAKA management, it has 18,500 spectator seats in its basketball configuration. This is not the number of tickets available for the Deep Purple concert: the stage, technical equipment and floor layout alter the available capacity for each performance.

When choosing a place, it is more important to consider how you prefer to experience a concert than simply how far you will be from the stage. The standing floor suits those who want to be at the center of the rhythm, while the stands offer an elevated view and the possibility of sitting, depending on the ticket category purchased. The acoustic experience in a large indoor arena depends on the sound system and the listener's position; identical sound quality cannot be guaranteed in every section in advance. Buying tickets after checking the seating plan helps avoid incorrect expectations about the view of the stage.

Getting to OAKA, entrances and planning the return journey

The arena is located in Marousi, north of central Athens. Concert announcements list the address as Kifisias Avenue 37, while Olympionikou Spirou Loui 1 is also used for the OAKA complex. When navigating, visitors should therefore select Telekom Center Athens specifically, rather than the main Olympic Stadium or another venue within the complex. OAKA has several access routes and entrances, and the final instructions on the ticket or in an organizer's notice take precedence over a general indication of the complex.

• Rail: Eirini station on Line 1 of the Athens urban railway provides a signposted route to the OAKA complex. It is useful to check the timetable before departure, particularly for the return journey after the concert.
• Buses: the complex management lists routes 441, 550, 602, A7 and B7 among the services along Kifisias Avenue. Routes and departure times may change, so an updated public transport timetable should be consulted.
• Car: designated parking areas are available within the OAKA complex. The number of spaces available during the concert, entry arrangements and possible traffic restrictions have not been confirmed in advance for this evening.
• Arriving for the concert: event information states that doors open at 19:00 and the program begins at 20:00. Given entrance checks and possible queues, arriving earlier is advisable, while also checking the latest announcements about the schedule.

Athens for visitors traveling to the concert

Visitors traveling from other cities can choose accommodation in Marousi or near transport connections to northern Athens, but staying immediately next to the arena is not essential. Checking late-evening return options is more important than the distance in kilometers, especially if you intend to stay until the final song. Marousi is part of the wider Athens urban area rather than the historic city center, so sightseeing in central Athens is best planned separately from attending the concert.

On the day of the performance, it is worth allowing enough time for arrival, finding your way around the complex and watching Jayler's set. Deep Purple brings to Athens both songs that have become part of hard rock history and fresh material from the album "SPLAT!". Tickets are most useful when selected according to the preferred section of the arena and a realistic arrival plan, while the schedule and entry conditions should be checked again before concert night.

Sources:
- Deep Purple (deep-purple.com and deeppurple.com) - tour schedule, current lineup and the album "SPLAT!".
- Rocking.gr (rocking.gr) - confirmation of the venue, date, program start time and Jayler's performance.
- Songkick (songkick.com) - information about doors opening at 19:00.
- Silver Lining Music (silverliningmusic.co.uk) - the album "Voices Unheard" and songs by Jayler.
- Setlist.fm (setlist.fm) - songs performed at the Belgrade concert.
- OAKA (oaka.com.gr) - transport access, capacity and arena information.
- Rocking.gr (rocking.gr) - report on the Rockwave Festival performance in 2023.
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (rockhall.com) - the band's induction in 2016.
- Rhino (rhino.com) - the album "Machine Head" and its songs.