Deep Purple performs sold-out concert at Arena 8888 Sofia

British rock band Deep Purple performed to a full capacity at Arena 8888 Sofia, marking their seventh concert in the city and eleventh in Bulgaria. The band played hits spanning over five decades of their career.

During the performance, frontman Ian Gillan shared anecdotes with the audience, including a joke about Black Sabbath. Keyboardist Don Airey performed a solo that included the Bulgarian national anthem, ‘Mila Rodino’, and Pancho Vladigerov’s ‘Vardar’ rhapsody, which drew a strong reaction from the crowd.

The current lineup features guitarist Simon McBride, who joined the group in 2022 following the departure of Steve Morse. Fans of various generations attended the event, reflecting on how they first discovered the band’s music, ranging from sharing dubbed albums in the 1970s to hearing ‘Smoke on the Water’ as a Nokia ringtone.