Rush frontman Geddy Lee recently addressed the controversial decision to resurrect the legendary band’s moniker for their upcoming 2026 tour without late drummer Neil Peart.
Speaking with the U.K.’s Classic Rock magazine, the bassist and vocalist explained that after receiving the blessing of Neil Peart‘s family, he and guitarist Alex Lifeson realized it was the only logical choice. Admitting the topic was heavily debated behind the scenes, he bluntly stated: “What else do you f**king call it?”
“When the band ended, we said it’s only Rush with Neil in it,” Geddy continued. “Which, of course, is true. Rush as most people know it. But, you know, over five gigs we will be playing forty Rush songs. So what the f**k should we call it, Iron Maiden?”
“We were twisting ourselves into a pretzel to try to avoid using the name that we have had for fifty years, and even before Neil came,” Geddy said.
“It just seems silly to go on as Lee and Lifeson Present The Music Of…” Geddy concludes. “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Let’s just be who we are and have been for over fifty years.”
The massive “Fifty Something” tour will launch this June at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, fittingly the exact venue where the Canadian rock icons concluded their “R40” anniversary tour over a decade ago. Joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on stage will be drummer Anika Nilles, known for her 2022 run with guitar legend Jeff Beck, and touring keyboardist Loren Gold, recognized for his work with The Who and Chicago.
Demand for the 2026 North American leg, spanning the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has been astronomical. Originally scheduled for 22 dates, immediate sellouts forced the band to expand the itinerary to 58 shows across 24 cities, moving over half a million tickets.
The highly anticipated reunion will go global in early 2027. In February, the band announced extended tour legs in South America and Europe, marking their first European performances since 2013 and their first South American appearances in 17 years. The European run will feature 24 shows across 13 countries in a special “evening with” format, boasting two distinct sets each night pulled from a rotating catalog of over 40 fan favorites.
Audiences got a brief preview of the new live lineup in late March when Rush performed publicly with Anika Nilles at Canada’s Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario. The group performed “Finding My Way”, the opening track from their 1974 debut album—notably the only studio release in their discography that does not feature Neil Peart.
While Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have made sporadic live appearances together since retiring in 2015, including memorial tributes for Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, the Juno Awards marked their first official performance under the Rush banner in 11 years.
Neil Peart tragically passed away in January 2020 at the age of 67 following a quiet three-year battle with glioblastoma, a severe form of brain cancer.
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
