Popakademie lecturer Anika Nilles plays drums for Rush
08. October 2025
Mannheim-based drummer and Popakademie lecturer Anika Nilles will be touring with legendary Canadian rock band Rush in 2026. The band made a surprise announcement on October 6 that they were reuniting—more than ten years after their last concert.
[LK_N https://www.popakademie.de/en/studium/popmusikdesign-ba/dozierende/anika-nilles/u/94/?tag=6#e3d7be] Nilles, head of the drum department at the Popakademie, will take over the drum parts of Neil Peart, who died in 2020 and is considered one of the most influential drummers in rock history. The tour is titled “Fifty Something” and is dedicated to the band's 50th anniversary and to Peart himself.Starting on June 7, 2026, Rush will play twelve concerts in the US, Canada, and Mexico, including stops in Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, and Toronto.
Anika Nilles, who graduated from the Popakademie in 2013 and has been head of the drum department since 2021, became internationally known for her virtuoso drum videos on YouTube. After collaborating with guitar legend Jeff Beck (1944–2023), she caught the attention of Rush's management as an exceptional musician.
With her involvement with Rush, the Mannheim-based musician is writing a new chapter in an impressive career – while continuing the legacy of her legendary predecessor.