Rush Confirms Sphere Residency We Told You About Months Ago
Another long-rumored residency at Sphere in Las Vegas is official-official. Rush has announced five shows at the orb-shaped venue, confirming chatter dating back to July.
Rush will perform at Sphere on May 21, 23, 26, 28 and 30, 2027. The residency has been dubbed “Elevate From the Norm,” a reference to the band’s 1981 song “Vital Signs.” Song name approved, for obvious reasons.
No, five shows doesn’t qualify as a residency, but we suspect there will be more, so we’re giving Rush a pass.
The announcement came Nov. 5, 2026, four months after we shared word the band was inking a deal for a Sphere residency.
Word is Rush is in talks for a Sphere residency. Insert “Moving Pictures” joke here.
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 19, 2026
We’re slyly leaving out the part where other news sources were sharing this rumor around the same time we did because that doesn’t fit our narrative of having broken every significant Las Vegas story since 2013.
Anyhoo, the band consists of the aforementioned founding members Geddy Lee (vocals, bass and keyboards) and Alex Lifeson (guitar), joined by drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold.
Yes, there’s a woman in the band. Don’t get your manties in a bunch.
Buzzkill alert: Rush’s beloved drummer, Neil Peart, died in 2020 following a battle with brain cancer.
Rush’s Sphere stint is part of the band’s “Fifty Something” comeback tour, its first tour since 2015. The tour has reportedly sold more than one million tickets.
Lee says the Sphere performances will include the entirety of the 20-minute song “2112” and the band’s 1981 album, “Moving Pictures,” along with other selections from the group’s catalog.
“Moving Pictures” includes some of Rush’s best-known songs, including “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” “Red Barchetta” and “YYZ.” Other Rush hits include “The Spirit of Radio,” “Freewill,” “Subdivisions,” “Closer to the Heart,” “New World Man” and “Fly by Night.”
Another potential buzzkill: Rush’s biggest commercial hit on the U.S. charts was “New World Man” from their 1982 album “Signals,” which reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 on the mainstream rock chart), making it their only single to crack the U.S. Top 40. We are probably the only one who finds that awkward.
Vegas will do anything to get Canadians back!
On the bright side, everybody knows “Tom Sawyer.”
Never forget those immortal lyrics: “What you say about his company is what you say about society. Catch the mist, catch the myth, catch the mystery, catch the drift.” Even Neil Peart didn’t understand the lyrics to his own damn song, so don’t feel bad.
Rush seems a good fit for Sphere, given the group’s affinity for elaborate concert visuals and music that often explores futuristic themes.
Now, Rush is developing new visuals specifically for Sphere’s ginormous screen.
Sphere’s lineup continues to appeal to an older ticket buyer with disposable income, considered the ideal casino customer, which is very good news for Venetian and its neighbors.
Other throwback acts include U2, Eagles, Backstreet Boys, No Doubt, Phish, Dead & Company and Metallica.
As mentioned, the current pattern is for Sphere to announce a few residency dates initially, then add more “due to popular demand.“
There will be plenty of tickets, so there’s no (wait for it) rush.
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