Rush Announce Dates For Surprise 2026 Fifty Something Tour Honoring Late Drummer Neil Peart

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame prog rockers Rush are gearing up for their first tour in 11 years. The Canadian legends announced the dates for a 12-show North American swing they are calling the Fifty Something tour on Monday morning (Oct. 6), marking the first time singer/bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist/vocalist Alex Lifeson will hit the road since the group wrapped their R40 40th anniversary tour in August 1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles

According to a release, the outing will be a celebration of Rush’s “music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart”; the band’s time-keeper and primary lyricist died of the brain cancer glioblastoma on Jan. 7, 2020 at age 67.

Fittingly, the tour will kick off on June 7 with the first of two shows at the KIA Forum in L.A., followed by shows in Mexico City, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York and Toronto, wrapping up on Sept. 17 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The “evening with” shows will feature the band playing two sets a night, with each show featuring a distinctive set of songs pulled from a setlist of 35 hits and fan favorites. They will be joined on the dates by German drummer/composer/producer Anika Nilles, 41, who has performed with Jeff Beck and released four solo albums.

“It’s been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of RUSH alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil,” wrote Lee in a statement. “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.”

Lee added, “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.”

The latter is a notable change from the band’s long-standing power trio lineup, which had Lee singing and playing both keyboards and bass.

Fans can get in on a RUSH artist pre-sale by signing up here by Thursday (Oct. 9) at 11:50 p.m. ET; artist pre-sales for the tour are being hosted by multiple sites, but anyone who signs up can join the pre-sale. No code is needed for artist pre-sales on Ticketmaster, with tickets tied to an individual’s account, though the artist pre-sale for SeatGeek for Cleveland will require a code. The Artist pre-sale begins on Oct. 13 at 12 p.m. local time in the U.S. and Canada and Oct. 16 at 12 p.m. local time in Mexico. The general on-sale beings on Oct. 17 at 12 p.m. local time for the U.S. and Canada and 11 a.m. local time for Mexico.

Lee added that he, Lifeson and the team’s crew have been hard at work rehearsing and designing the new show, with Peart’s widow, Carrie Nuttall-Peart and daughter, Olivia Peart, saying in a statement, “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.”

Lee and Lifeson sent a special message to Rush fans on Monday morning in a cheeky five-minute video in which they reminisced about all the time they’ve spent jamming in the basement and the few musical projects they’ve done together since Peart’s death, which have included performing at the South Park 25th anniversary celebration and the tributes to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, both in 2022. Lee said those appearances were “bittersweet” for “obvious reasons.”

“We’re musicians and we’re players and out music is special,” Lifeson said of his realization of just how unique the band’s music is now that he’s had quite a bit of time away from it. “I realized how difficult it is to play, but how rich it is in its music and lyrics and everything it represented,” he said, nothing that the 35 songs will rotate in and out and that each night will feature a part of the show that a tribute to Peart and his memory and “everything that he was to us.”

Rush just released the 50-track super deluxe anthology RUSH 50, which runs from the first-ever reissue of their 1973 debut single through a live recording of the final song Lee, Lifeson and Peart played together during the R40 tour closer at the Forum.

Watch the announcement video and see the full list of 2026 Rush Fifty Something dates below.

2026 Fifty Something dates