Rush Announce 2026 Reunion Tour Dates + New Drummer

Prog rock legends Rush have officially announced a reunion and 2026 tour, featuring returning members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, as well as new drummer Anika Nilles.

Rush’s first show back and with this new lineup will take place on June 7 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, followed by a second night in the same venue two days later. The tour will make additional stops in Mexico, Texas, Illinois, New York, Ontario and Ohio. Rush will play two nights in each city, except for Mexico and the last date in Cleveland, Ohio.

The shows will be in the “evening with” style, featuring two career-spanning sets from Rush each night.

See all of the 2026 dates further down the page.

Tickets will go on sale on Oct. 17 at 12PM local time (11AM local time for Mexico), preceded by a variety of pre-sale options. Visit the Rush website for more ticketing details.

Geddy Lee Comments on Rush Reunion

Commenting on the reunion and new drummer, Geddy Lee says:

It's been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of Rush alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil. A lifetime’s worth of songs that we had put our cumulative hearts and souls into writing, recording and playing together onstage. And so, after all that has gone down since that last show, Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we fucking miss it and that it’s time for a celebration of 50-something years of Rush music. So in 2026 my BFF Lerxst (aka Alex Lifeson) and I are going to hit the road once again to pay tribute to our past and to Neil by performing a vast selection of Rush songs in a handful of cities. No small task, because as we all know Neil was irreplaceable.
Yet life is full of surprises, and we’ve have been introduced to another remarkable person; an incredible drummer and musician who is adding another chapter to our story while continuing her own fascinating musical journey. Her name is Anika Nilles and we could not be more excited to introduce her to our loyal and dedicated Rush fanbase, whom, we know, will give her every chance to live up to that near impossible role. Before we hit the stage, we also hope to add another musician or two to expand our sound a wee bit and free up Alex and I, in order to show off some of our new fancy dance steps.
Lerxst, Anika and myself, along with many of our longstanding crew members have been hard at work rehearsing and designing the kind of Rush show you’ve grown accustomed to expect from us. We dearly hope you will come along and help us celebrate our history together.

Carrie Nuttall-Peart and Olivia Peart Comment on Rush Reunion

Neil Peart's daughter and widow share:

We are thrilled to support the Fifty Something tour, celebrating a band whose music has resonated and inspired fans for generations, and to honor Neil’s extraordinary legacy as both a drummer and lyricist.
Neil’s musicianship was singular. Compositions of intricacy and power that expanded what rhythm itself could express. As both drummer and lyricist, he was irreplaceable. Inimitable in his artistry, and unmatched in the depth and imagination he brought to the lyrics that inspired and moved so many, he profoundly shaped how fans connected with him and the band, giving voice and meaning to their own lives.
As the band enters this new chapter, it promises to be truly unforgettable. We are excited to see how their new vision unfolds, and to hear this legendary music played live once again.

About Rush’s New Drummer Anika Nilles

Anika Nilles is a 42-year-old German jazz/fusion/prog drummer and composer who got her start on YouTube in the 2010s. She’s been drumming since six years olds and has earned accolades from Modern Drummer Magazine and DRUM! magazine (named No. 2 best fusion drummer in 2017). In addition to being a musician, Nilles teaches drums as well, including at Drumeo.

Nilles earned a degree in popular music from the University of Popular Music and Music Business, a public conservatory in Mannheim, Germany where she also teaches.

She’s released four full length albums — Pikalar (2017), For a Colorful Soul (2020), Opuntia (2022) and False Truth (2025). In 2022, Nilles joined Jeff Beck’s band for a European tour and she’s regularly on the road doing drum clinics.

Listen to the song “Pikalar” below to get a taste of Nilles’ drumming.

Anika Nilles, “Pikalar”

About Rush’s Final Show With Neil Peart in 2015

Rush’s last show took place on Aug. 1, 2015 at the conclusion of the R40 tour in Inglewood, California. The trio celebrated their 40th anniversary and had told fans in advance that it was likely going to be their final tour with drummer Neil Peart expressing a desire to retire.

Peart, one of the world’s most skilled and influential drummers, as well as Rush’s primary lyricist, died on Jan. 7, 2020 at age 67 as a result of an aggressive form of brain cancer. The drummer had kept his medical issues private in the years leading up to his death. It was later revealed by some of his peers that they had known about Peart’s declining health, but kept it out of the public out of respect for the drummer’s privacy.

In the years since Rush’s final show with Peart, Lee and Lifeson had expressed a shared desire to make music and play onstage, but downplayed the notion of a full-scale Rush comeback. However, while at the tribute show to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022, it was Beatles legend Paul McCartney who had seemingly instigated talks of the Rush pair getting back together to carry the band and Peart’s legacy forward.

Speaking about the tribute show, Lee recalled in a 2023 interview with Q104.3, “I got to meet Paul McCartney and he was so lovely and inspiring and encouraging. After the gig, we had a little group of us, Josh Homme, Alex, me and Dave [Grohl] would come in every once in a while so I could pour him a glass of wine and Will Forte was there and [The Struts singer] Luke Spiller. And Paul came and sat with us. And he had loved our set, which meant a lot to hear from someone of that stature. But he was insisting that we had to go out on the road and he was making a plea. I remember him saying to me, ‘You know what Ringo [Starr] says, ’It’s what we do.’”

RUSH: Fifty Something 2026 Tour Dates

June 07 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ Kia Forum
June 09 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ Kia Forum
June 18 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes
June 24 — Forth Worth, Texas @ Dickies Arena
June 26 — Forth Worth, Texas @ Dickies Arena
July 16 — Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
July 18 — Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
July 28 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
July 30 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Aug. 07 — Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
Aug. 09 — Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
Sept. 17 — Cleveland, Ohio @ Rocket Arena

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Enter to Win a Trip to See Rush in Chicago

Loudwire is running a contest that is active from now (Oct. 6, 2025) and ends on Oct. 17 of this year for one lucky winner to see Rush on July 18 in Chicago.

The winner and their guest will fly to Chicago, enjoy two nights in the "Windy City" and score two ticket to what will no doubt be on of the greatest concerts of your life.

For more details and to enter for your chance to win, head to the Rush flyaway contest page.