Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, co-founders of the classic rock band Rush, have announced the group’s first tour in 11 years. The 2026 Fifty Something Tour will, in the words of the band, celebrate Rush’s “music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.”
The tour, with German musician Anika Nilles taking drum duties, launches Sunday, June 7, at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, the first of two nights. It’s the same venue where Peart played his final concert with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band in 2015.
See below for full tour itinerary.
In a lengthy statement (read it in full below), founding singer, bassist and keyboardist Lee 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. 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*cking 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.”
Peart died in January 2020 of glioblastoma.
The 2026 tour is being undertaken with the full support of Peart’s widow Carrie Nuttall-Peart and daughter Olivia Peart, who said 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.” Read their statement in full below.
After the two dates in Los Angeles, the Fifty Something Tour will then go to Mexico City for one show, followed by two-night stands in Fort Worth, Chicago, New York and Toronto. The tour ends on September 17 with a single concert in Cleveland.
The Canadian band today also announced Rush 50, a 50-track anthology available in five distinct configurations, including the Super Deluxe Edition, Rush Store Exclusive Super Deluxe Edition, seven-LP Deluxe Edition, four-CD Deluxe Edition and Digital Edition. The career-spanning anthology includes the first-ever reissue of their 1973 debut single and concludes with a live recording the final song Lee, Lifeson and Peart played together during the 2015 R40 Tour closer at The Forum.
Rush is a staple of classic rock radio with such enduring songs as “Tom Sawyer,” “The Spirit of Radio,” “Limelight,” “Subdivisions,” “Closer to the Heart” and “New World Man” — all fueled by Peart’s drumming and lyrics. The group’s popularity was galvanized during the 1980s, when it released six consecutive albums that reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, from 1980’s Permanent Waves through 1989’s Presto and including the 1981 double live set Exit … Stage Left. After two late-’80s albums peaked in the teens, all of its half-dozen studios sets from 1991’s Roll the Bones through 2012 swan song Clockwork Angels hit the top 10.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. The Toronto-based trio were named Ambassadors of Music for Canada in 1979, before their U.S. breakthrough.
Here is Lee’s full statement:
“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. 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.
“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. 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.
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. We dearly hope you will come along and help us celebrate our history together.”
And here is the Carrie Nuttall-Peart and Olivia Peart 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.”
TOUR DATES
Sun Jun 07 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
Tue Jun 09 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
Thu Jun 18 Mexico City, MX. Palacio de los Deportes
Wed Jun 24 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
Fri Jun 26 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
Thu Jul 16 Chicago, IL United Center
Sat Jul 18 Chicago, IL United Center
Tue Jul 28 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thu Jul 30 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Fri Aug 07 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Sun Aug 09 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Thu Sep 17 Cleveland, OH Rocket Arena
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