GIRL IN THE BAND- ANIKA NILLES JOINS RUSH FOR 2026 TOUR.

Canadian legends Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush have announced their 2026 ‘Fifty Something Tour’ that will be performed across Canada, Mexico and the US next summer. The tour will mark 10 years since the band have performed the music of RUSH alongside their fallen drummer, “the professor”, Neil Peart.

So who is in the hot seat? German drummer, composer and musical educator Anika Nilles. I’m here to give you a bit of background on this wonderful lady drummer to assure Rush fans that they are in capable hands. Taking up the throne after Neil Peart is powerful, and the news has certainly turned heads all over the world, specifically in the drum community and fans of the Canadian 3-piece, but more on that later…

The spike in Google searches worldwide for ‘Anika Nilles’ over the past month- source: Google Trends.

Yes, one of the biggest prog rock events of the year is progressive, and there’s a little girl drummer in me who is absolutely beaming with pride and support for our Anika.

It’s no surprise that I’ve idolised Anika from a young age; she is a humble powerhouse with an invigorating presence, and her drumming skill has established her as one of the finest modern drummers to explode onto the scene. Anika is a very respectable woman; she is a role model- she executes masterful, innovative rhythms all from under the comfort of a beanie hat. Her confidence in herself and her skill as a female drummer have always been things I’ve given quite the “f*** yeah” to. This journey will continue to inspire her followers further and introduce this unapologetic female drummer to wider communities.

Well, who is Anika Nilles?

Anika Nilles was born into a family of drummers and began drumming at the age of six. Her father taught her the first grooves, and it evidently ignited a passion. From there, she launched her career on YouTube in the early 2010s, and has released four full-length albums to date with backing band Nevell: Pikalar (2017), For a Colourful Soul (2020), Opuntia (2022) and False Truth (2025). She is a multi-award-winning drummer, winning the Drummie Awards Rising Star award two years in a row from 2015-2016, being named Best Clinician at the 2018 MusicRadar awards, and winning the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Up and Coming Artist Award in 2016. She has endorsed Meinl Cymbals, Tama Drums and Evans Drumheads- she even conceptualised Meinl’s 18” Artist Concept Model Deep Hats in 2017. She also has her own Meinl signature cowbell, Meinl practice pad, and a set of Promark drumsticks available.

She previously toured with Jeff Beck, and when Rush announced their tour at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Oct 5^th, Geddy Lee explained to the audience how Nilles touring with Beck placed her firmly on his radar; “My bass tech, Skully was working with Jeff Beck and he was on tour” Skully would come home and rave about Anika, which led him to investigate; “So, I kind of looked her up, and she’s all over YouTube. She’s fairly well known in her own world of music,” said Lee. She has upward of 246,000 subscribers on YouTube, and produces playing content, jam sessions and interviews.

YouTube- Anika Nilles ‘Alter Ego’

The reaction: support vs backlash.

Recruiting a female drummer in a band defined by legacy, intellect, and precision was always going to be a head turner. To quote Michael Jochum, who was recently the tour drummer of Korn, “She [Anika] approaches the drum set from a compositional standpoint, much like Danny Carey of TOOL- every part of the kit becomes a voice, a colour, a design element. And the fact that she’s a young woman in that role? That’s not a gimmick; it’s progress. It opens doors, broadens audiences, and carries the music forward to the next generation.” Tommy Igoe posted a video saying that drummers must rise to support Anika, in the face of what he calls ‘drum owners’ that will inevitably plague this decision with negativity. He has said, “drummers are going to support her and wish her the best, she’s going to play her a** off- she’s got the gig for a reason!” he continued, “Let’s show everybody what the drum community should often be, but fails. This is our opportunity, let’s support her!”

It’s no surprise, however, that this decision would bring out misogynistic behaviour. To quote a couple- A user commented that they felt “gut punched” by the announcement, another said, “Rather see a guy in the drum spot. But hey I’ll go.” -and that one came from a woman…

Why this matters.

Women in drumming is like women in golf, the “gentleman’s sport”. Both battle the same tired stereotypes: too soft, too weak, too “different.” Shut out of clubs and studios, paid less, and praised “for a girl” instead of for their skill. Seeing female drummers fighting back, challenging stereotypes and proving that skill and passion know no gender, like Anika, is something that I’ve been championing since I was a little sprog behind the kit myself. Trailblazers like Viola Smith, Karen Carpenter and Sheila E showed the world that women can not only keep up but redefine what excellence looks like.

Anika being made such a global spectacle is a beautiful thing for women and such a positive development for the drum community; her skill and determination more than qualify her to take on this challenge. She is a remarkable musician.

Anika made me proud to be a girl drummer when I was little, and now she gets to show the world how much she can handle the weight of the throne.