Credit: Chris Knopp / YouTube Still
Sun 18 October 2026 12:42, UK
Rock legends Rush have been forced to postpone their San Jose show, set to take place on October 17th, after their drummer fell ill.
The band was set to take the stage at SAP Centre, but took to their social media to announce that the show would not be going ahead, only hours before the doors were set to open.
Taking a more personal approach, guitarist Alex Lifeson addressed Rush fans in the video message, where he revealed that drummer Anika Nilles had fallen ill.
Nilles had originally begun to feel sick at the first Rush show, which took place in San Jose on October 15th, but her symptoms had worsened to the point that she was unable to take the stage.
“So this really sucks,” Lifeson admitted on the video, adding that Nilles “was in the early stages of a flu, but she managed to get through the gig, which was really quite incredible and a testament to her willpower.”
Lifeson went on, “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.”
Apologetically, he added, “We’re crestfallen. We were really looking forward to it, but it is what it is.”
The musician looked to the future, continuing, “She’s going to recover hopefully within the next four or five days, hopefully, and then we are going to try to come back on December 6th to do the make-up gig.”
For good measure, Lifeson added, “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 are currently on their first tour since 2015, where Nilles joins existing members Geddy Lee and Lifeson, replacing their original drummer, Neil Peart, who tragically died in 2020.
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