Rush has cancelled a second San Jose performance after drummer Anika Nilles’ flu worsened, despite her performing through illness at the first show days earlier, in comments shared via Instagram.
The band announced the cancellation and explained that Nilles was in the early stages of flu when the first San Jose show took place. “So sorry everyone!” the band said. “Anika is too ill to perform tonight. Tonight’s RUSH show in San Jose is not happening – now rescheduled for Dec 6, 2026. All previously purchased tickets will be honoured for the new date. Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to coming back and putting on a fantastic show for you!”
Alex Lifeson addressed the situation directly. “Hi, it’s Lerxst. So this really sucks. The other night [Thursday, October 15] when we played the first show in San Jose, Anika was ill. She was in the early stages of a flu, but she managed to get through the gig, which was really quite incredible and is a testament to her willpower. But over the last couple of days, she’s gotten a lot worse, and, unfortunately, we’re gonna have to cancel the show tonight.”
“It’s a real bummer. We’re crestfallen. We were really looking forward to it, but it is what it is. So she’s gonna recover hopefully within the next — oh, who knows? — four or five days probably. And then we’re gonna try to come back on December 6th to do the makeup gig here in San Jose.”
Lifeson added his apologies and encouragement. “Again, really, really sorry. These things happen. It’s flu season. We’ll do our best to get back in shape and return and put on a fabulous show for all of you. Thank you so much for understanding.”
Rush announced that all previously purchased tickets for the cancelled show will be honoured for the rescheduled December 6 date. The band made the announcement as Nilles recovered from her illness.
Nilles, a 42-year-old drummer from Aschaffenburg, Germany, is performing with Rush for the first time on their 2026 tour. The tour, called “Fifty Something,” marks the band’s return to the road after 11 years and their first performances without longtime drummer Neil Peart, who died on January 7, 2020. The tour kicked off on June 7, 2026 in Los Angeles and is fronted by founding members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, both 72 years old.
Nilles built her reputation through her work on YouTube, where she gained international recognition after posting the original composition “Wild Boy” online in 2013. She has released three full-length albums with her backing band Nevell: Pikalar (2017), For a Colorful Soul (2020) and False Truth (2025). In 2022, she performed with guitar legend Jeff Beck on what turned out to be his final tour.
Beyond her touring work, Nilles has served as head of the drums department at Popakademie Baden-Württemberg since 2021. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson officially reunited under the Rush name at Canada’s Juno Awards in March 2026, where they introduced Nilles as Neil Peart’s successor. Peart had played 2,539 shows with Rush from 1974 until the R40 Tour concluded at the Los Angeles Forum on August 1, 2015.
