Ritchie Blackmore

One of the most influential and versatile guitarists ever, Ritchie Blackmore will take to the stage to celebrate the era-defining music of Rainbow and Deep Purple in a one-off UK show on Saturday 25th June 2016 at the Genting Arena in Birmingham.

Ritchie Blackmore is universally acknowledged as a singular and visionary talent, one who has helped shape and define the landscape of rock music and the evolution of the guitar at its core. With a background immersed in classical and r’n’b he was a founding member and driving force of Deep Purple, going on to form Rainbow in 1973, who went on to sell in excess of 28 million albums.

Both bands remain unmoved and in elite company at the head of rock’s family tree. The drive and power of Blackmore's music in Deep Purple - still unmatched today - and Rainbow’s pioneering, fusion of the classical and rock genres, set the bar impossibly high for those who followed.

Blackmore says of the show, 'I just felt like playing some rock 'n' roll for a few days, of just playing the old rock stuff, Purple stuff and Rainbow. I'm doing it for the fans, for nostalgia, and the singer I found is very exciting; he's a cross between Ronnie James Dio meets Freddie Mercury. So this will mean exposing a new singer to the masses, and I'm sure he'll become pretty famous because of his voice'.

As one of only three European shows, it promises to be an unmissable event, not only for Deep Purple and Rainbow fans, but also those who want to soak up the electrifying genius of Ritchie Blackmore live and revel in the unforgettable songs he crafted with two of music’s most celebrated bands.