Rush Will Embark on a World Tour Starting in June

The legendary prog-rock band Rush has reunited with a new lineup. It’s hard for die-hard fans to imagine Rush returning without iconic drummer Neil Peart behind the drum kit. But with the blessing of Peart’s family, Rush returned with 42-year-old Anika Nilles in her debut performance with the group. At the 2026 Juno Awards, an award show presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took the stage for the first time since 2015. Along with a new drummer, the performance was also the debut of their new keyboardist, Loren Gold. Previously, Gold had toured with the Who and drummer Anika Nilles had worked with Jeff Beck.

In this comeback performance, the band played only one song. “Finding My Way” is track one, side one of their debut self-titled album, Rush, released in 1974. It’s a relevant song for the group to perform, with a new lineup and a reinvention of the band. This was a surprise performance at the Juno Awards, and the first for Rush since August 1, 2015. The last time bass player/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson performed as Rush was with Neil Peart on drums, at the end of the R40 Live Tour. On January 7, 2020, iconic rock drummer Neil Peart died after a silent, three-year battle with brain cancer. Peart is among the greatest rock drummers of all time, often considered the greatest. His untimely death shocked the rock world and left many fans questioning the future of the legendary prog-rock band.

Rush Will Embark on a World Tour Starting in June

With the new lineup, Rush will embark on the Fifty Something Tour. Initially, the tour was intended to be a small run of shows. The group has expanded the tour to an 86-date world tour. Rush will hit regions that the band missed on the R40 Live Tour in 2015. The tour kicks off in Inglewood, California, on June 7, 2026, and includes dates in North America, the UK, and Europe. It will run into 2027, with dates added in South America recently as well.

Rush formed in Toronto in 1968, with the original lineup consisting of Alex Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey, and bassist/vocalist Jeff Jones. Jones was soon replaced by Geddy Lee. After the release of their debut album, Rutsey left the group due to health concerns. He was replaced by Neil Peart in July of 1974, who helped define the group’s prog-rock sound with complex and precise drum skills along with science fiction-style lyrics. The band then went on to become icons in the prog-rock genre, with a string of highly successful albums and hits. Moving Pictures, released in 1981, was the band’s most successful release, featuring the hits “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight”, selling nearly 7 million copies worldwide. Rush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and is considered one of the most successful Canadian bands of all time.