Rush Returned to the Stage After 11 Years at the 2026 Junos

Rush just played live for the first time in roughly 11 years, opening the 2026 Juno Awards with a performance that nobody outside the band's inner circle saw coming. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had hinted at "something special" ahead of the ceremony, but few expected this: a full-blown return with a new rhythm section and a very deliberate setlist choice.

The band kicked off the show with 'Finding My Way,' the opening track from their 1974 self-titled debut. That pick wasn't random. The song was originally recorded with founding drummer John Rutsey — not the late Neil Peart, who joined the band later that year and became one of the most celebrated drummers in rock history. It was a way to step back on stage without stepping on sacred ground.

Still, Peart's presence was everywhere. Vintage footage of the legendary drummer rolled on screens behind the band as they played, a tribute that made the moment feel less like a replacement and more like a continuation. It threaded the needle between honoring what was lost and signaling what's ahead.

Stepping into the drum seat was Anika Nilles, best known for her work with Jeff Beck. As Rolling Stone reported, "Former Jeff Beck drummer Nilles, in what was likely the most pressure-filled moment of her career, simply excelled, playing a huge kit with the Rush logo on the bass drum, bashing her way through virtuosic fills." If there were doubts about whether anyone could sit behind that kit and hold their own, she answered them in about four minutes.

“Stepping into the drum seat was Anika Nilles, best known for her work with Jeff Beck.”

Keyboardist Loren Gold also joined Lee and Lifeson on stage. Gold isn't a one-off guest — he's confirmed for the band's upcoming tour, suggesting Rush's new live lineup is locked in and road-ready.

The band had been effectively dormant since the R40 Live anniversary tour wrapped in 2015. Peart's death in January 2020 felt like it sealed the deal for good. Lee and Lifeson stayed active with solo projects and occasional collaborations, but a full Rush performance seemed out of the question. That calculus clearly changed.

With a tour now on the horizon and a new lineup that clearly works, the real question is what comes next — a greatest hits victory lap, or something nobody's heard yet. Either way, Rush is back, and the pressure shifts from whether they could do it to what they'll do with it.