In a seismic announcement that has reverberated throughout the rock music world, legendary Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson revealed their triumphant return to touring with the “Fifty Something” World Tour, scheduled to begin on June 7, 2026, in Los Angeles.
The tour will serve as both a celebration of the band’s storied legacy and a heartfelt tribute to their late drummer Neil Peart, who succumbed to glioblastoma in 2020 after a quietly fought three-year battle with the disease.
Accompanying the tour announcement came the introduction of Anika Nilles, a 42-year-old German drumming virtuoso who will take on the formidable task of filling Peart’s role behind the kit.
Nilles, recognized globally for her technical precision and innovative approach to percussion, brings substantial credentials to the position, including collaborations with Jeff Beck and an impressive following of over 377,000 Instagram devotees who regularly engage with her drumming videos.
“Finding someone to honor Neil’s legacy while bringing their own voice was essential,” Lifeson explained during the press conference, where the band confirmed they would perform classic hits including “Tom Sawyer” and “New World Man.”
The announcement has garnered immediate support from Peart’s family, with his widow Carrie Nuttall-Peart and daughter Olivia publicly endorsing both the tour and Nilles’s participation as a meaningful continuation of Neil’s artistic influence.
The “Fifty Something” tour represents a delicate balance between reverence for Rush’s history and forward momentum.
Additional musicians may join the lineup to expand the sonic landscape while allowing Lee and Lifeson greater performance flexibility.
Extensive rehearsals and production planning are already underway with the band’s longtime crew and collaborators.
Lee and Lifeson discovered Nilles through a recommendation from Skully, Lee’s longtime bass technician who had been following her career.
Nilles has shared that her approach to mastering Peart’s complex parts involves structured practice sessions that break down each composition into manageable segments.
The band has scheduled intensive soundcheck routines at each venue to ensure optimal audio quality and stage presence throughout the tour.
The performance of “Tom Sawyer” will undoubtedly highlight Nilles’s ability to execute the complex fills and dynamics that made Peart’s drumming a cornerstone of Rush’s sound.
As Rush prepares to begin on this new chapter, fans are encouraged to embrace both the nostalgia and evolution represented by the tour.
“This isn’t about replacing what can never be replaced,” Lee noted, “but celebrating what Neil helped build while creating something meaningful for today’s audiences and ourselves.”
