Ian Gillan - Talking Gib'rish Tour

Ian Gillan is coming to the York Barbican on Thursday 6 May 2027, as part of his Talking Gib'rish Tour. It's not a gig — it's a speaking tour, a series of live talks where Gillan shares personal stories from his life and his career in music. He's spent over six decades on stage, and this is his first time stepping out as a public speaker rather than a singer.

If you know him, you know him as the voice of Deep Purple, but the career goes back further than that. He started with The Javelins in 1962, then joined Deep Purple in 1969, when they were helping to build hard rock into something of its own — Machine Head came out in 1972. In between, he took the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar in 1970. Across it all, he's sold more than 200 million records and has a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Talking Gib'rish tour is his first time talking about that life in public, and he's described it as a series of live talks that let the audience hear those personal stories first-hand.

Gillan himself put it this way: "I am quivering with anticipation at the prospect of embarking on my first ever public speaking engagements... It's going to be a blast!"

Doors open at 19:00 at the York Barbican. Tickets go on sale on Friday 26 June 2026 at 10:00 via the venue's website, with a booking fee and hospitality options available. It's an all-ages event, though anyone under 14 needs to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.