Anika Nilles Says She Never Really Listened to Rush During Rehearsals

Anika Nilles has been announced as the drummer joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson for Rush’s 2026 reunion, and she told followers on Instagram, “Hey there, the past few days have been quite overwhelming.” Lee and Lifeson revealed the lineup in a video released on Monday (Oct. 6), and press coverage notes Nilles has been publicly thanking the band and fans since the announcement.

Loudwire reported the tour was initially announced as 12 shows across seven cities with a June 7 kickoff at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, but the itinerary has expanded. Modern Drummer reproduces multiple confirmed dates and venues including four nights in Los Angeles (June 7, 9, 11, 13 at Kia Forum), Mexico City on June 18 at Palacio de los Deportes, four nights in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena in late June, four nights at Chicago’s United Center in July, and multiple July and August dates at Madison Square Garden in New York. Loudwire adds that the tour “nearly doubled in dates” from the initial announcement and that Rush are expected to play two sets each night.

The rehearsal and interpretation work behind the scenes is already a headline. Ultimate Classic Rock quoted Geddy Lee recalling, “I heard this drummer the other day, I think her name is Anika [Nilles]. She played on the last Jeff Beck tour and I thought was she was terrific.” Lee also told reporters that Nilles “came to Rush music without any preconceptions,” and stressed the effort involved in matching Neil Peart’s feel: “you can play a drum fill. A lot of drummers can play Neil's drum fills, but to combine that with the feel of those songs so that it feels the way you guys want to hear those songs. That's work, that requires work. So she's winning.”

Modern Drummer and other outlets outline Nilles’ résumé: a 42-year-old German drummer who left a career in social education around 2010 to pursue music, rose to prominence after a viral video of her original song “Wild Boy,” released Pikalar in 2017 and For a Colorful Soul in 2020, toured with Jeff Beck in 2022, and has taught at Nexus ICA, Drumeo and Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, where she has headed the drums department since 2021. LouderSound reports a third solo album, False Truth, was released “last month” relative to that story and notes Tama Drums uploaded a video of Nilles playing “FouFou” from False Truth on a Star Maple kit.

Reaction across the drumming world has been intense. LouderSound quoted Mike Portnoy saying, “Incredible! I am so happy for Geddy and Alex!... Congrats to Anika Nilles, who I’m sure will be amazing. She’s awesome!” Fan responses on social platforms were described as “almost universally giddy,” with comments such as “It sounds and feels right and somehow complete” and “The more I see of this drummer, the more I see why Geddy and Alex picked her.”

Alternative Nation summarized Nilles’ first in-depth interviews since her selection on March 2, 2026, drawing from a Slagwerkkrant interview and other press coverage. Nilles has used Instagram to welcome new followers and to say, “I also don't want to miss the chance to warmly welcome all the new faces here and to thank you for your kind and open-minded words – they truly mean a lot. At the same time. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who has followed and supported my journey over the years.” With the “Fifty Something” routing expanding and two-set nights planned, rehearsals and set construction will be closely watched as Rush prepares its first tour since Neil Peart’s death in 2020.