Rush 2027 Tour Dates: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announce UK and European Fifty Something shows
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have revealed a UK and EU leg of their Fifty Something tour, listing Glasgow, Manchester and London dates in March 2027 — news that places rush 2027 tour dates at the center of a long-awaited reunion and the band’s first UK shows in 13 years. The run marks Rush’s return to Europe and the UK since drummer Neil Peart’s death in 2020 and introduces new touring personnel and VIP offerings for fans.
Rush 2027 Tour Dates: Glasgow OVO Hydro, Manchester Co-op Live and two nights at The O2
The announced UK itinerary specifically includes Glasgow, Manchester and London in March 2027, with Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, Manchester’s Co-op Live and two nights at London’s The O2 confirmed as venues. The Glasgow date is set for Monday, March 8, 2027, with doors at 6. 30pm. Promoters describe the run as part of a larger 18-date European tour. These will be the band’s first shows in this country for 13 years, after the tour in support of their nineteenth and final studio album, Clockwork Angels. Rush did not tour the UK as part of their subsequent final tour, R40, on which they played their very final show at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015.
New touring lineup: Loren Gold on keyboards and Anika Nilles on drums
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will be joined on the road by German drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold. Nilles, who has been described as a former Jeff Beck drummer and a German virtuoso, will fill the massive role of stepping into the late Neil Peart’s shoes. Loren Gold has worked with The Who and has also played with Chicago; Gold has been playing with The Who for the last 12 years or more. Geddy Lee announced the hire, saying, “We also have hired a keyboard player who’s going to be coming on the road with us, ” and added, “His name is Loren Gold.... So we’re excited to bring him on board and our first rehearsal with him starts very soon. ” Alex Lifeson joked, “It’s going to free us up to work on those dance moves as well, ” to which Geddy replied, “You’re creating an unrealistic expectation!... Well, we’re pretty good dancers. I’ll be your J-Lo to your Beyonce. ”
Ticketing, presales and VIP packages for UK dates
Public ticket sales are scheduled to begin on Friday the 27th at 10am local time. Exclusive artist presales for Rush Fan Club and Rush Backstage members start on Tuesday, February 24 at 10am local time, and VIP packages for fan club members will also be available starting Tuesday, February 24 at 10am local time. Customers of OVO Energy have access to tickets from 10am on Wednesday, February 25. A special VIP program includes the 2112 Platform Experience and curated Travel Packages. VIP packages could include Meet & Greet access, an autograph signing session and production tour, entry to the Xanadu pre-show VIP lounge, and exclusive merch gifts. Each Travel Package includes a two-night stay at a curated hotel, premium tickets to the show, a limited edition gift, a Rush Welcome Pack, a Transportation Pass and additional exclusive goodies. For the Glasgow OVO Hydro date, prices will range from £77. 05 to £213. 25 plus booking fees. The Hydro show is over-5s only, and all under 14s must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18.
Show format and setlist plans built from a 40+ song catalogue
The UK shows are being promoted as special “evening with” performances that will find the band playing two sets each night. Each show will feature a distinct selection of songs; Rush plan to build each night’s setlist from a catalogue of 40+ songs including their greatest hits and fan favourites. Geddy Lee said he and Alex are “loving the hours of rehearsal time we’re spending with Anika and now Loren, learning around 40 songs which will enable us to keep the shows evolving, playing some different songs on different nights. ” The band also confirmed that many longstanding crew members have returned to help design the production, and Lee invited fans to “help us celebrate 50 years of Rush music, while giving Neil the long overdue tribute he so richly deserves. ”
Band history, recent timeline and career milestones
Rush were formed in Toronto in 1968 and their classic power trio lineup performed together between 1974 and 2015, when Neil Peart retired from music; the band disbanded three years later. Peart died in 2020. The reunion was announced as part of a tour starting in 2026, with the current run extending into 2027. The band have sold over 42 million albums worldwide, been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and won ten Juno Awards. Notes from recent shows include a cited last Los Angeles concert in 2025; the new UK and European dates will be the band’s first in those territories since Peart’s death in 2020.
Additional music miscellany referenced in coverage
The announcement coverage also referenced a handful of other music-history details. The international sleeve for AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was created by the design group Hipgnosis; the building in that sleeve’s background was a motel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles that is now called Hotel H-Wood. A March 2021 album by Thunder featured an outdoor sculpture called the Singing Ringing Tree, a wind-powered sound sculpture located on a Pennine hill range overlooking Burnley in Lancashire; the sculpture stands three metres tall, was designed by Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, and uses pipes of galvanised steel to create sound when the wind hits them — a discovery allegedly stumbled upon by Luke Morley while Googling “bizarre musical instruments. ” The seminal cover for Black Sabbath’s debut album was shot at the 15th Century Mapledurham Watermill on the banks of the River Thames in Oxfordshire; six years after that album’s release the mill featured in location filming for the 1976 movie The Eagle Has Landed on 14 June 1976 with actress Jenny Agutter. The grade II listed Mapledurham Watermill has become a destination for Black Sabbath aficionados, including children’s TV presenter Mr Tumble, also known as Justin Fletcher.
