Deep Purple in Pisa: hard rock between historic façades and a new phase for the band
Deep Purple arrives at Piazza dei Cavalieri on July 16, 2026, at 21:00 as part of the Pisa Summer Knights programme. This is a one-day open-air event in Pisa's historic centre, with a temporary stage set between the square's monumental buildings.
Deep Purple comes to Pisa immediately after the release of the album "SPLAT!", their 24th studio release, published on July 3, 2026. The album was once again produced by Bob Ezrin, while the songs "Arrogant Boy", "Diablo" and "Guilt Trippin'" represent the band's current creative phase. The concert is therefore not a purely retrospective event, but a meeting of classics and material created by the present line-up.
Pisa is the first of only two Italian stops on this part of the tour. Deep Purple performs in Este the very next evening, while the Pisa concert stands out as the tour's only stop in central and southern Italy. On the schedule, it follows the band's performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 13, a place with a deep connection to the story behind the song "Smoke on the Water".
Tickets for this event are currently on sale.
Why Deep Purple still sounds unmistakable
The band was founded in 1968 and changed members over the decades, but it retained an easily recognisable combination of powerful guitar riffs, Hammond organ, a rhythm that leans towards the blues and room for instrumental improvisation. Their influence does not end with classic hard rock. Traces of blues, psychedelia, progressive rock and classical music can be heard in Deep Purple's music, particularly in the way the guitar and keyboards alternate in the leading roles.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Deep Purple in the performers category in 2016, describing them as a band that paved the way for hard rock and metal. At the same time, the group continues to release new music and adapt its concert sound to the present line-up.
On stage are:
- Ian Gillan - vocals
- Roger Glover - bass guitar
- Ian Paice - drums
- Don Airey - keyboards
- Simon McBride - guitar
Ian Paice is the only member who has been present since the band was founded, while Gillan and Glover carry the vocal and rhythmic identity of its best-known periods. Don Airey continues Deep Purple's important tradition of organ sound on keyboards, while Simon McBride, a permanent member since 2022, has brought a firmer contemporary guitar tone and new chemistry to the studio and concerts.
"SPLAT!" changes the context of the current tour
The album "SPLAT!" was released less than two weeks before the concert in Pisa. Thematically, it deals with the idea of the end of humanity as a transformation rather than merely destruction, but musically it remains focused on concise riffs, a powerful rhythm and the recognisable contest between guitar and keyboards. It is the second studio release with Simon McBride after the 2024 album "=1", confirming that the current line-up is a clearly defined version of the band.
Recent concerts on the "Mad in Europe" tour show that the new material is not separated into a special section, but placed directly among the classics. At performances in Spain in early July, "Arrogant Boy" and "Diablo" from the new album appeared regularly, alongside "A Bit on the Side" and "Lazy Sod" from the album "=1". The new songs are therefore not merely a brief obligation before returning to the hits.
The audience gets two kinds of energy: the classics and material made for the current five-piece line-up. "Arrogant Boy" relies on direct hard-rock momentum, while "Diablo" leaves more room for the characteristic interplay between McBride's guitar and Airey's keyboards.
Which songs can be expected - without promising an exact set list
The exact set list for Pisa has not been published and may change. Nevertheless, song lists from several performances in July 2026 provide a reasonable insight into the structure of the current concert. In Spain, "Highway Star", "Into the Fire", "Lazy", "When a Blind Man Cries", "Rapture of the Deep", "Space Truckin'", "Smoke on the Water", "Hush" and "Black Night" repeatedly appeared alongside newer songs.
Instrumental sections are an important part of the performance, rather than the concert being only a sequence of studio versions of songs. The keyboards and guitar receive space for solo moments, while Paice and Glover maintain a firm, mobile rhythmic foundation. In these transitions, the performance becomes just as important as the composition.
"Smoke on the Water" almost inevitably creates the biggest shared moment for the audience, but the current programme does not rely on a single riff. "Highway Star" provides speed, "Space Truckin'" expands the song towards improvisation, "When a Blind Man Cries" lowers the dynamics, while "Lazy" leaves space for the organ and blues phrases. "Hush" and "Black Night" often serve as the final impact of the concert, although the order and selection of songs in Pisa may be different.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
What kind of concert experience the current line-up delivers
Ian Gillan does not approach the songs today as though he were trying to reproduce every nuance of his voice from the early 1970s. His performance relies more on phrasing, tone and control of dynamics. This particularly suits songs such as "When a Blind Man Cries", while the faster compositions draw their energy from the whole band rather than only from a vocal climax.
Simon McBride plays with clear respect for the riffs that have become part of the genre's history, but he does not try to sound like a copy of previous guitarists. His solo sections are direct, blues-oriented and rhythmically precise. Don Airey responds with the broad sound of organ, piano and synthesiser, so the concert often takes the form of a conversation between two leading melodic lines.
For long-time fans, the way the old songs change on stage is important. An audience familiar only with the biggest hits receives an overview of fast hard rock, slower blues and instrumental passages. Lovers of musical performance, especially guitarists, keyboard players and drummers, will probably follow the interaction between the members just as closely as the choruses themselves.
Piazza dei Cavalieri is not a typical festival field
Piazza dei Cavalieri is located in Pisa's historic centre. In the Middle Ages, the square was the city's political and administrative centre, while today it is defined by Palazzo della Carovana, the headquarters of Scuola Normale Superiore, Palazzo dell'Orologio, the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri and the statue of Cosimo I. It is a more architecturally enclosed space than a wide stadium plateau, although the concert remains an open-air event.
Instead of arena stands and a roof, the audience is surrounded by Renaissance façades and city streets. The proximity of the buildings gives the square a more compact character, but the view of the stage and the sense of closeness to the performer depend on the sector, the barrier arrangement and the production layout installed for this evening.
The square has no permanent concert infrastructure, so the stage, sound system, entrances and security corridors are installed specifically for the event. The arrangement therefore does not have to be the same as in previous years. Capacity, entry points and audience zones depend on the specific organisational plan.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
Arriving in Pisa and getting to the square
Piazza dei Cavalieri is situated within the compact historic centre. For visitors arriving by train, the starting point is Pisa Centrale, from where they can continue towards the centre on foot or by city bus. Autolinee Toscane publishes current routes, timetables and notices about possible changes. On the day of the concert, it is worth checking the route again because temporary restrictions may alter the usual stops.
Pisa Airport is connected to the main railway station by the PisaMover system. The same system also connects the Aurelia car park, which is a practical option for those who do not want to drive into the inner city centre. From the station or the parking interchange, the onward journey should be planned on foot or by public transport.
Pisa's historic centre is covered by limited-traffic zones, while Piazza dei Cavalieri and the surrounding streets may be subject to additional access and parking restrictions during major events. Previous editions of Pisa Summer Knights included the closure of the square and access streets to traffic, as well as controlled entry for visitors with tickets. The exact measures for July 16 should be checked on the day of the event because they are implemented under a special traffic order.
For those arriving by car, it is more sensible to choose a car park outside the innermost centre than to try to reach the square itself. Pisamo Mobilità publishes a parking map, payment zones and information about the ZTL. Attention should be paid to cameras at the entrances to restricted zones and to car-park opening hours.
Practical arrival plan
- Plan to arrive in the wider centre of Pisa early enough to walk to the square and complete the ticket check.
- Do not rely on parking immediately next to Piazza dei Cavalieri.
- Check the timetable of the return train, bus or PisaMover before the concert begins.
- Follow traffic notices from the City of Pisa and Pisamo Mobilità because of possible evening closures.
- Save your digital ticket on your device and make it available offline, and check the identification-document requirements before departure.
Entry, duration and rules that still need to be checked
The concert is scheduled to begin at 21:00. The announcements checked before writing did not specify the gate-opening time, the duration of the performance, the supporting-act programme or detailed rules concerning items that may be brought inside. For this reason, it is not advisable to plan to arrive only a few minutes before the start. Controlled access routes and possible diversions may prolong entry.
Since this is a summer open-air concert, it is useful to follow the forecast immediately before travelling. Water, light clothing, sun protection for an earlier arrival and a thinner layer for the later return may be practical, but before packing, visitors should check which equipment is permitted inside the concert zone. Umbrellas, larger bags, professional photographic equipment, bottles and other items are often subject to special rules that vary from event to event.
Visitors who require an accessible entrance, wheelchair space or assistance from a companion should check the entry point and access conditions in advance. The historic paving and temporary barrier arrangement may affect the simplest route to the designated zone.
How to include the concert in a visit to Pisa
Piazza dei Cavalieri lies between Piazza del Duomo and the banks of the Arno, so the concert can easily be combined with a walking tour of the city. However, the day of the event is not ideal for arriving at the last moment with large luggage. It is more sensible to leave belongings earlier at the accommodation or at a verified luggage-storage facility, and then head towards the square without unnecessary weight.
The immediate city centre contains restaurants, bars and smaller streets with heavy evening traffic. Reserving an early dinner may reduce waiting times, especially because the audience will flow towards the same part of the city in the hours before the concert. After the performance, visitors should expect slower movement through the narrow exit streets and the simultaneous departure of a larger number of people.
The best plan is not the fastest one, but the one with enough spare time: arriving in Pisa earlier in the day, taking a relaxed tour of the centre, eating before the evening crowds, checking traffic notices and entering the concert zone before the start. In this way, the historic square becomes part of the experience rather than merely an address on the ticket.
Sources:
- Deep Purple - tour dates, biography, current line-up and information about the album "SPLAT!"
- Comune di Pisa - Turismo - concert date and venue, Pisa's position in the Italian part of the tour and the history of Piazza dei Cavalieri
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - the band's influence and its 2016 induction
- Montreux Jazz Festival - the band's concert profile and songs connected to the current tour
- Setlist.fm - song lists from performances in Spain in early July 2026
- Autolinee Toscane - city routes, timetables and information for travelling around Pisa
- Pisamo Mobilità and PisaMover - ZTL, parking and connections between the airport, railway station and car parks