Like a Neil Peart drum part, RUSH‘s reunion plans have unfolded with a decisive level of complexity and intensity. In a new interview with CBC News, singer/bassist Geddy Lee addressed the reaction to the band’s comeback announcement and offered a preview of what fans can expect when the band hits the road next year.
Perhaps the biggest development of RUSH’s return is the inclusion of a new drummer, Anika Nilles. A long-time YouTube sensation and clinician, Nilles is stepping into the mighty shoes of the aforementioned Peart, who passed away in January 2020. But Lee, who was recommended to hire Nilles by his own bass tech he’d played with the drummer during Jeff Beck’s last-ever tour, believes Nilles can more than meet the challenge.
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“And so when we made the decision to see what it’s like to play with another drummer, we contacted her, and she’s just a fantastic person,” Lee said. “And she came to Canada and we very surreptitiously snuck into a studio and worked out for about a week. And by the end of it, we were convinced that this would be a go for us. Yeah, she’s just a tremendous player.”
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At the same time, Lee didn’t shy away from the questions and concerns hanging over Nilles’ debut with the band. There simply is no way to ever truly replace the technical prowess and showmanship that Peart brought to the band.
“It was a very difficult decision to go back on the road, and [Peart’s death] was the main stumbling block, obviously,” Lee said. “How do we replace the irreplaceable, so to speak?”
Fortunately, Lee said there were signs early into the rehearsal process that further demonstrated how snugly Nilles would fit in — even if she didn’t exactly grow up as a RUSH devotee, either.
“We started playing some of the songs, trying to translate Rush music to someone who didn’t really grow up as a Rush fan; she was not a Rush fan,” Lee said. “She knew, of course, of Neil’s playing — every drummer knows who Neil is, or Neil was, I should say — so it was a bit of a daunting task.”
Lee continued, “And we had to go through each song and explain the nuances of the song and the idiosyncratic nature of how our songs are put together. So at times she was a bit overwhelmed, but she’s an incredibly hard worker. She’s got great technical facility and she’s just got a really positive attitude, and that’s really good for [us] to be around right now.”
But RUSH have also faced another big challenge beyond a new drummer: tackling the “rigors” of touring (especially when, by his own admission, Lee hasn’t performed that much since Peart’s death). Even the response to the tour has been a bit of trial (albeit the good kind) for Lee and bandmate Alex Lifeson.
“Well, I’m a bit overwhelmed right now, to be honest,” Lee said. “Alex and I took a long time trying to figure out if we could actually do this ever again. When we did finally decide, of course people were optimistic, but we really didn’t expect the kind of overwhelming response our announcement has brought forth out of our fanbase. It’s just been a remarkable few weeks around our homes, but very exciting — very exciting.”
Since the initial announcement earlier this month, Rush have continued adding new shows seemingly every week. As of a few days ago, the total count has climbed to an astounding 58 dates, with the 2026 “Fifty Something Tour” now featuring multiple nights in several cities, including Philadelphia, Detroit, Montreal, Boston, San Antonio, Denver, Seattle, Atlanta, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
For his part, Lee has already spent ample time getting ready for what will be RUSH’s first tour in over a decade.
“I’ve been playing diligently for about a year and a half now,” Lee said. “And it wasn’t that we had planned this tour that long ago. I had just decided that after writing all these books and having the experience of doing television shows that I needed to make some music again.”
Lee added, “So I’ve been working out pretty regularly trying to get my fingers, these little digits, back in shape. And, of course, since we did make the decision to tour, I’m hitting the gym pretty hard, and so is Alex. But we’re gonna be ready. We’re working at it. We’re gonna put a lot of hours into that.”
Still, even with all that excitement and prep, don’t expect anymore tried-and-true three-hour concerts from RUSH. However, Lee said that “we’re certainly gonna play over two hours. And we’ll get a lot of songs in, for sure.”
An artist ticket pre-sale for RUSH’s recently announced dates is set for Monday, October 27th at 12:00 p.m. local time. A general ticket on-sale will follow on Friday, October 31st at 12:00 p.m. local time via Ticketmaster.
Check out our RUSH buying ticket guide.
RUSH 2026 Tour Dates:
06/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum [Buy Tickets]
06/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum [Buy Tickets]
06/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum [Buy Tickets]
06/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum [Buy Tickets]
06/18 – Mexico City, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes
06/20 – Mexico City, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes
06/24 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena [Buy Tickets]
06/26 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena [Buy Tickets]
06/28 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena [Buy Tickets]
06/30 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena [Buy Tickets]
07/16 – Chicago, IL @ United Center [Buy Tickets]
07/18 – Chicago, IL @ United Center [Buy Tickets]
07/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center [Buy Tickets]
07/22 – Chicago, IL @ United Center [Buy Tickets]
07/28 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden [Buy Tickets]
07/30 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden [Buy Tickets]
08/01 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden [Buy Tickets]
08/03 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden [Buy Tickets]
08/07 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/09 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/11 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/13 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/21 — Philadelphia, PA @ Xfinity Mobile Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ Xfinity Mobile Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/26 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena [Buy Tickets]
08/28 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena [Buy Tickets]
09/02 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [Buy Tickets]
09/04 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [Buy Tickets]
09/12 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden [Buy Tickets]
09/14 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden [Buy Tickets]
09/17 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Arena [Buy Tickets]
09/19 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Arena [Buy Tickets]
09/23 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center [Buy Tickets]
09/25 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center [Buy Tickets]
10/05 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena [Buy Tickets]
10/07 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena [Buy Tickets]
10/10 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena [Buy Tickets]
10/12 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena [Buy Tickets]
10/15 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center [Buy Tickets]
10/17 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center [Buy Tickets]
10/25 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena [Buy Tickets]
10/27 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena [Buy Tickets]
10/30 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [Buy Tickets]
11/01 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [Buy Tickets]
11/05 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live [Buy Tickets]
11/07 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live [Buy Tickets]
11/09 — Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena [Buy Tickets]
11/11 — Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena [Buy Tickets]
11/20 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center [Buy Tickets]
11/22 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center [Buy Tickets]
11/25 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena [Buy Tickets]
11/27 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena [Buy Tickets]
12/01 — Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena [Buy Tickets]
12/03 — Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena
12/10 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place [Buy Tickets]
12/12 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place [Buy Tickets]
12/15 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [Buy Tickets]
12/17 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [Buy Tickets]