Introducing Anika Nilles, The New Drummer of Rush

Canadian rock band Rush is best known for its hard rock and progressive rock creations that have tantalized music lovers for generations. The band was primarily built with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart; however, they discontinued making music after their dear friend and band member, Neil, passed away. The band is now looking forward to embarking on a music tour in 2026, and fans are eagerly looking forward to it. Talented drummer Anika Nilles will join the band to bring back the taste of Canadian Heavy metal.

Rush is Back

Rush has not participated in any music tour since the death of their dear friend Neil Peart in 2020. After a long halt for years, the band is finally back with their original essence, and the addition of Anika Nilles would honor the contributions of Neil. The band is reuniting in Summer 2026. The announcement for the Fifty Something tour came as a surprise when Lee and Alex announced the tour at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event, which took place in Cleveland.

This event will celebrate more than five decades of Rush’s reign in the global rock music industry. This tour will also be a tribute to the drummer and chief lyricist, Neil Peart, from the band. This is going to be one of the major musical performances by Rush since 2015, as the tour spans over seven cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Cleveland. 12 shows have been confirmed till now, and fans are looking forward to more.

Who is Anika Nilles?

Anika Nilles is going to be the new drummer for Rush for their upcoming music tour, as someone has to take care of the Peart’s kit with passion and care. This French-German drummer has gained much attention with her extraordinary drumming and percussion skills, and now, she is ready to perform with the legendary rock band. Nilles is quite popular in her lane, has done multiple solo projects, and has become a leading name in the drumming festivals. Previously, Anika played drums for Jeff Beck and many other artists.

 The remaining members of Rush, Lee and Lifeson, had already invited the drummer to Toronto earlier this year in order to conduct their secret rehearsals and to check the sync among them. She has been practicing with them since March of this year. The band members were quite impressed with Anika’s impeccable skills, which were able to retain the sensitive elements of Peart’s iconic sound. Geddy Lee said about her, “She is remarkable. We know fans will give her every chance to live up to an impossible role.”

Career Graph of Anika Nilles

It is safe to say that Anika made significant progress within a short duration with her ability to adapt to all kinds of soundscapes. Her musical career started unconventionally as she was not a drummer from childhood, but acquired her skills as an adult. She was initially studying social education, but soon decided to switch to what she loves more, music. She received a degree in popular music and music business from Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in Mannheim, Germany.

Before doing collaborations with other artists, Anika was building her empire with solo projects, which helped her gain global attention. Her breakthrough project was ‘Wild Boy’, an original track by the artist that went viral in 2013. After gaining a lot of views on YouTube, she constantly grew her fanbase with dynamic drum performances. In 2017, the drummer dropped her debut solo album called ‘Pikalar’. This instrumental album showed her great sense of complexity in rhythm as well as melodic percussion. Since then, she has dropped a total of three more albums, and the recent release, ‘False Truth’, is still buzzing among the fans. “For a Colorful Soul” is one of the unique albums by the drummer that was released in 2020, and later on, she dropped “Opuntia” in 2022.

Other than the studio album releases, Anika has also participated in many international drum festivals, and later on, she decided to collaborate with some of the biggest names for live performances. In 2022, fans could find her performing with Jeff Beck for a European Tour. She is one of the most talented drummers from her generation who has become a role model for the younger generation. She is currently 42 years old, and she also shared a post on Instagram regarding the reunion, saying, “It’s truly an honor! Big shoes to fill! Thank you, Geddy and Alex for trusting me and welcoming me on this incredible journey with you!”

Tribute to Neil Peart

Neil Peart was an integral part of the band Rush, which helped to develop the complex sound designs that allowed them to gain more attention with their unique creations. This upcoming reunion will bring back the taste of that complex rock flavor that is loud, creative, and engaging as well. It is not about creating a new band but embracing the remembrance of the band that already existed. The band is already rehearsing more than 35 songs and has created multiple set lists for different nights. Each show is supposed to run for more than two hours to offer fans a captivating and unique rock experience. Rush was formed back in 1968, and the band is all set to bring back the essence of the golden era of rock music. Neil Peart died while fighting cancer, and the upcoming music tour celebrates his evergreen rock legacy.

Rush reunion tour 2026 is going to be an emotional rollercoaster for the band members, as Geddy Lee said, “After 2015, it was a very quiet and sad period. And when I think back to the tribute concerts for Taylor Hawkins, we went out on stage and played our songs for the first time in a long time. There was a special feeling attached to that. Bittersweet because of obvious reasons.”

Let’s brace ourselves for the ‘Fifty Something’ Tour, which is taking place in Summer 2026.

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