Deep Purple announced on Instagram on Saturday morning that they were unable to perform as scheduled at the QI Arena in Leipzig and the following evening at the Sporthalle in Hamburg.

The band said the cancellations came "as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalization."

According to TMZ, the next two tour dates were canceled outright, and no further details of Gillan's condition or the emergency have been shared, as HELLO! reports.

The band acknowledged the announcement came at short notice for ticket holders and promised to find a "suitable time to reschedule both these shows," adding that all tickets purchased will remain valid for the rescheduled dates.

HELLO! reports that the world tour has been running since August and is expected to continue to South America, which makes an abrupt pause feel jarring for fans mid-run.

What HELLO! calls hopeful news: a November 3 tour date, also in Germany, remains on the schedule, as does the rest of the European leg, which arrives in the band's native UK on November 18 and concludes on November 25 at London's Royal Albert Hall.

For a devoted rock readership, the surprise is not merely a cancellation but the unknown status of everything booked immediately after it — whether the 81-year-old frontman's hospitalization affects only these two nights or the leg ahead.

The context a fan would talk about: Gillan first joined Deep Purple as the line-up changed in 1970, when the band moved toward a heavier sound alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 — an organization that called the group the "harbingers of hard rock, paving the way for metal groups with their breakneck style," per HELLO!.

Gillan exited in 1973, rejoined in 1984 for five years, and returned again in 1992, with Glenn Hughes taking over as frontman during his departures; both were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

HELLO! notes Hughes, 75, announced his own retirement from touring in August after an aortic valve replacement operation, citing health as his number one priority.

Both outlets agree on the immediate mechanics: ticket holders for Leipzig and Hamburg are being told to hold on, since the band says all purchased tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates.

TMZ says it will keep readers posted as more is learned, and neither report offers a prognosis or timeline for Gillan's recovery.

For now the practical watch-points are the November 3 German show, the UK dates beginning November 18, and the Royal Albert Hall finale on November 25 — any change there will tell fans whether this was a two-night scare or something longer.

Until then, the band's message is a promise to reschedule rather than refund.