RUSH Band Member Recently Fell Ill

German musician Anika Niles, who joined RUSH as the touring drummer for their 2026 reunion tour, recently fell ill, causing the band to reschedule a weekend tour date.

The band announced the Oct. 7 concert at San Jose’s SAP Center was canceled.

“So sorry everyone! 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,” wrote the band. “Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to coming back and putting on a fantastic show for you!”

Niles was announced as Rush’s touring drummer for their 2026 “Fifty Something Tour,” in Fall of 2025. Niles is stepping in for the band’s original drummer, Neil Peart, who passed away in 2020. The 2026 reunion tour is the band’s first since Peart’s death.

Niles, 43, has had a successful solo career as a drummer, releasing three full-length albums and has previously toured with Jeff Beck’s band.

Once news of Niles’ illness and the subsequent cancellation of Saturday’s show was posted, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson posted a video message to the band’s IG account.

“ Hi, it’s Lerxst. So this really sucks. The other night when we played the first show in San Jose, Anika was ill,” the guitarist stated. “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.”

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RUSH is scheduled to play St. Louis’ Enterprise Center on Wednesday.