Rush officially announced this Monday, the 6th, a reunion tour in 2026. In addition to founding members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson , the band also announced new drummer Anika Nilles .
The tour celebrates the band's 50th anniversary and will be dedicated to the memory of the late drummer Neil Peart . The first show will take place on June 7th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and will include stops in Mexico, Texas, Illinois, New York, Ontario, and Ohio.
The news caught everyone by surprise, and many are wondering who the drummer chosen for the difficult task of replacing Neil Peart is. In an official statement on the Rush website , Geddy Lee commented:
“The biggest question, the obvious question, is: how do you replace someone who is irreplaceable? And I heard from Skully [ John McIntosh ], my bass tech, who was touring with Jeff Beck , he was working with a fingerpicker called Anika Nilles , so he mentioned how amazing she was, how talented, musical and powerful she was. I think [Alex] and I playing with her started to get energized when we heard our songs coming back to life. And it was only after we had those successful rehearsal sessions with her that it made me feel: yes, we can do this and we can do it justice and this is going to be fun.”
Anika Nilles, the drummer chosen to replace Neil Peart
However, Geddy Lee already mentioned Anika years ago, during an interview with The Guardian in November 2023, when he spoke about living “in a time rich in great drummers”. Lee then cited Danny Carey of Tool and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers , as well as mentioning a much less well-known drummer: “I heard a drummer the other day, I think her name is Anika [Nilles]. She played on Jeff Beck’s last tour and I thought she was incredible.”
Lee also recounted that, after the death of drummer Neil Peart , the band received numerous unpleasant messages from drummers wanting to replace him , and he said he needed time. Finally, after five years and with help from Paul McCartney , Rush decided to return for a reunion tour.
During a press event last Sunday, the 5th, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Gleddy Lee spoke more about Anika Nilles' selection [via Ultimate Classic Rock ]:
“Unfortunately, before Jeff passed away, he was touring with him for a few years, and on the last tour, he was playing with a drummer named Anika Nilles, an incredible drummer, and he would come home and praise her: What a brilliant player she was, and a great person… So, I kind of looked her up, and she’s everywhere on YouTube. She’s quite well-known in her own musical world. And then we started talking about playing together again, so I said: check her out. Maybe it’s an interesting way to start. And then one thing led to another, and when we made the decision, we wanted to see if it would work out.”
He concluded: “No matter who the drummer is, everyone has their own perception of what it’s like to play a Rush song, and it might not match how we play Rush. So, whoever we chose would be difficult, and there would be a sort of translation. So, we brought Anika to Canada, very secretly, and did it. It wasn’t an audition, because at that point we weren’t sure if we were going to tour. It was all an experiment.”
Who is Anika Nilles?
Anika Nilles, 42, is a German jazz/fusion/prog drummer and composer, born in Aschaffenburg, Germany, on May 29, 1983. Interestingly, she was born a year after the release of " Signals ," Rush's ninth album. Coming from a family of drummers (father and uncles), she has been playing since she was 6, but turned professional at 26.
A former drummer for Jeff Beck , she currently teaches at a conservatory and at Drumeo , and also contributes to DRUM! magazine , offering tips on the instrument. According to Modern Drummer Magazine, DRUM! Magazine , and Music Radar , Anika Nilles has been named a rising star [via Loudwire ].
Anika Nilles has released four solo albums: Pikalar (2017), For a Colorful Soul (2020), Opuntia (2022), and False Truth (2025).
While still inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Lee declared that he is very happy: “She’s fantastic to play with, we’ve had a few sessions with her and we’re going to tour with her. I think she has a remarkable history. And, you know, she’s much younger than us. I know it’s hard to believe, and I like that, that she came to Rush without any preconceptions. That also made everything very difficult, because we had to explain nuances and work on subtleties, and she really had to try to get into Neil’s mind and feeling. You know, you can play a drum sequence. Many drummers can play Neil’s drum sequences, but combining that with the feel of those songs so that they sound the way you want to hear them… That takes work, it requires work. So she’s winning.”
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