Legendary 70s rock band Rush has announced a reunion tour, five years after the tragic death of their beloved bandmate Neil Peart.
On Monday, bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, both 72, revealed they will be hitting the road for a 12-date, seven-city tour in summer 2026.
The run will kick off in June at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the very venue where they played their final show in 2015, and wrap up in Cleveland in September.
Meanwhile, the duo will also make stops in Mexico City, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, and Toronto.
In a heartfelt statement, frontman Geddy said: ‘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.
Legendary 70s rock band Rush has revealed they will be hitting the road for a 12-date, seven-city tour in summer 2026 (L-R Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, and Geddy Lee in 1978)
The news comes five years after the tragic death of their beloved bandmate Neil Peart, who passed from brain cancer at the age of 67 (Neil pictured in 2015)
‘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 f**king miss it, and that it’s time for a celebration of 50-something years of RUSH music.’
He added: ‘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.’
But the new chapter in the band’s story will feature one major change: the addition of German drummer Anika Nilles, 42.
Geddy continued: ‘Yet life is full of surprises and we 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.
He added: ‘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.
He concluded: ‘We dearly hope you will come along and help us celebrate our history together.’
The run will kick off in June at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the very venue where they played their final show in 2015, and wrap up in Cleveland in September
Anika first rose to prominence on YouTube in 2010 and has since released two studio albums.
Rush’s drummer, Neil, passed away in 2020 after a battle with brain cancer at the age of 67.
At the time, the band released a heartbreaking statement: ‘It is with broken hearts and the deepest sadness that we must share the terrible news that on Tuesday our friend, soul brother and band mate of over 45 years, Neil, has lost his incredibly brave three and a half year battle with brain cancer. Rest in peace brother.’
Neil joined Rush in 1974 and was widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished drummers in rock history.
He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1983, the youngest ever at the time.
In the late 90s, Neil was struck by a series of devastating personal losses. His 19-year-old daughter, Selena, tragically died in a car crash in 1997, and just 10 months later, his long-time partner Jackie Taylor passed away from cancer.
In 2000, he found love again, marrying photographer Carrie Nuttal. The couple later welcomed a daughter, Olivia.
