Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy has expressed his excitement regarding the upcoming “Fifty Something” comeback tour from Canadian progressive rock legends Rush.
During a recent interview with Chile’s “Sonar FM“, the drummer was asked if he planned to attend any of the highly anticipated shows. He enthusiastically confirmed his intentions.
“Absolutely. I cannot wait to see it. I’m so curious what it’s gonna be like. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time. And I had the honor of becoming friends with [late Rush drummer] Neil Peart for the last 10, 15 years of his life. And, yeah, I’m so happy that they’re gonna do it again. And I absolutely plan on going to see the shows and supporting them,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
The “Fifty Something” tour marks the first time Rush surviving members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will embark on a comprehensive tour since the passing of Neil Peart. Award-winning fusion drummer Anika Nilles was recruited last year to fill the percussion role.
Asked what he thinks, as someone who has spent decades touring and performing at the highest level, when he hears that a band like Rush is set to hit the road again, Mike Portnoy highlighted the importance of legacy acts continuing to perform.
“Well, I’m happy to see them reunite. For the fans it’s important, because all of the classic bands are going away. Rrush is thankfully coming back, but a year ago if we were having this discussion, we would say there is no Rush, there is no Van Halen, there is no more Black Sabbath, Slayer retired, Megadeth is retiring, Sepultura is retiring. So, yeah, we need our heroes to keep playing if they can, if they’re able to.”
The topic of Mike Portnoy potentially playing with Rush has been a persistent point of fan speculation for years. In a February conversation with Brazil’s Regis Tadeu, he addressed the fact that some fans hoped he would be the one to step in for Neil Peart.
“Well, I’d be lying if I denied that, of course, playing with those guys would be a dream come true. Of course. And I love and respect not only Rush‘s music, but Neil Peart as a person and as a drummer. So if the hypothetical scenario ever occurred that they had asked me, I would’ve approached it with the utmost respect — believe me. But in a way I’m kind of relieved they didn’t ask me, because that’s a very tough role to walk into. I think for Anika, she’s gonna have a lot of people making inevitable comparisons. There’s no way around it. So that’s gonna be a very tough gig to have. So in a way I’m relieved that they didn’t ask me.”
He previously clarified his stance in an earlier February interview with Metal Hammer magazine, refuting rumors that he had proactively offered his services to the band.
“No. I read Geddy’s book and he mentioned about all the drummers offering themselves to them and how much it turned him and Alex off. I did send my condolences to Geddy and Alex after Neil passed, but I never tried to throw my hat in the ring for Neil’s gig. It’s a sacred role that should only be filled if Geddy and Alex choose for it to be so. Sure enough, here we are with them choosing to finally do so [with Anika Nilles], which has been incredible.”
He further detailed why an offer from Rush would have created a complex situation given his recent return to Dream Theater.
“If they hypothetically ever approached me with it, of course, I would have done it with the utmost respect and honour. But frankly, I’m relieved they didn’t. First of all, filling Neil’s shoes is going to be impossible. If anybody ever thought Mike Mangini filling my shoes was tough, try filling Neil Peart’s shoes! And I came back home to Dream Theater, which is where I belong. So if, hypothetically, they’d approached me with this reunion that they’re doing, it would have put me in an awkward position because of the timing of it all.”
Speaking to Chile’s “Futuro” in January 2026, Portnoy praised the decision to hire Anika Nilles, calling the prospect “extremely exciting.”
“It’s extremely exciting. I, as a fan, can’t wait to see how they do this and what it’s gonna be like. Neil Peart was not only one of my biggest drum heroes, but he was somebody that I was honored to become friends with in the last decade or so of his life. So, yeah, as a fan of the band and as a friend of Neil’s, I’m very happy to see them doing this, and I can’t wait to hear what they do.”
Regarding Anika Nilles‘s playing style, he added at the time: “I’ve never seen her play in person, but like everybody else in the world, as soon as the announcement was made, I started pulling up videos on YouTube and saw her playing with Jeff Beck and doing the jazz fusion kind of stuff she does. She’s obviously a tremendous drummer, so I’m really curious to see how it sounds.”
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson officially returned to the stage under the Rush banner on Sunday, March 29, performing live with their new touring drummer, Anika Nilles. The performance took place during the Juno Awards ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario.
Joined by touring keyboardist Loren Gold, the group opened the event by performing “Finding My Way“, the lead track from their 1974 debut studio album, Rush.
The 2026 North American leg of the “Fifty Something” tour will cover the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The schedule originally featured 22 dates, but immediate sell-outs prompted organizers to expand the itinerary. The tour now encompasses 58 shows across 24 cities, moving over half a million tickets for the 2026 calendar year alone.
Looking ahead, the band announced in February that the tour will expand internationally in early 2027. The upcoming schedule includes their first European performances since 2013, alongside their first South American appearances in 17 years.
Rush “Fifty Something” 2026 Tour Dates:
- June 7, 9, 11, 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
- June 18 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
- June 20 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
- June 24, 26, 28, 30 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
- July 16, 18, 20, 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center
- July 28, 30, Aug. 1, 3 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
- Aug. 7, 9, 11, 13 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
- Aug. 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
- Aug. 23 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
- Aug. 26 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
- Aug. 28 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
- Sep. 2 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
- Sep. 4 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
- Sep. 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
- Sep. 14 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
- Sep. 17, 19 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena
- Sep. 23 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
- Sep. 25 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
- Oct. 5 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
- Oct. 7 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
- Oct. 10 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
- Oct. 12 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
- Oct. 15 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
- Oct. 17 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
- Oct. 25 – Washington D.C. – Capital One Arena
- Oct. 27 – Washington D.C. – Capital One Arena
- Oct. 30 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
- Nov. 1 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
- Nov. 5 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
- Nov. 7 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
- Nov. 9 – Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena
- Nov. 11 – Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena
- Nov. 20 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
- Nov. 22 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
- Nov. 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
- Nov. 27 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
- Dec. 1 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
- Dec. 3 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
- Dec. 10 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
- Dec. 12 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
- Dec. 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
- Dec. 17 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Rush “Fifty Something” 2027 UK And European Tour:
- February 19: Paris, FRA – La Défense Arena
- February 21: Berlin, GER – Uber Arena
- February 23: Amsterdam, NED – Ziggo Dome
- February 25: Munich, GER – Olympiahalle
- February 28: Cologne, GER – LANXESS Arena
- March 2: Hamburg, GER – Barclays Arena
- March 4: Stuttgart, GER – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
- March 8: Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
- March 12: Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
- March 16: London, UK – The O2 Arena
- March 18: London, UK – The O2 Arena
- March 27: Kraków, POL – Arena Kraków
- March 30: Milan, ITA – Unipol Dome
- April 1: Basel, SWI – St. Jakobshalle
- April 4: Copenhagen, DEN – Royal Arena
- April 6: Oslo, NOR – Unity Arena
- April 8: Stockholm, SWE – Avicii Arena
- April 10: Helsinki, FIN – Veikkaus Arena
Rush “Fifty Something” 2027 South America Dates:
- January 15: Buenos Aires, AR
- January 22: Curitiba, BR
- January 24: São Paulo, BR
- January 30: Rio De Janeiro, BR
- February 01: Belo Horizonte, BR
- February 04: Brasília, BR
