Going to Rush's 2026 Tour? Here's Why You Should Get There Early

Rush’s highly anticipated comeback tour is officially underway, and after attending opening night we’ve already learned a valuable lesson: get there early.

Initial information said that Rush’s opening performance at the Forum in Los Angeles would begin at 8PM local time, with doors opening one hour beforehand. We arrived just after 7PM, giving ourselves plenty of time to wander around and check out the atmosphere and awesome tour merch before the show. Just as we were about to head to our seats, there was a loud sound, followed by an eruption of cheers. It was 7:35, and the show was starting.

Rush has always taken their stage design seriously. Lighting effects, smoke, pyrotechnics, moving video screens, an abundance of lasers – these would all come later in the concert. What we didn’t expect was the night to begin with a short film.

Rush Mix Celebrity Cameos and Classic Easter Eggs Into Their Intro Video

At the movie’s start, a trio of young people (one of whom is Alex Lifeson dressed up as a kid) happen upon a spooky haunted castle. Outside, a mustachioed sausage maker named Gershon (played by Geddy Lee), offers them a map to find Rush. Lee’s Gershon character was first introduced on the 2010 Time Machine tour, the first of many classic Rush easter eggs placed within the film.

As the adventurers get to the castle, two wisecracking animated crows – designed to look like Lee and Lifeson – joke about the band’s age. “We might be dumb birds, but those guys are no spring chickens.”

Inside the castle, the trio encounters more references to Rush history. The owl from the cover of Fly By Night tries to burst out of one of the rooms. In another, Jason Segel and Paul Rudd, reprising their Rush-loving characters from I Love You, Man, are caught jamming together on Rush classics.

The youngsters get a rude response when they open a third door. “Excuse me, assholes. We are rehearsing,” declares Eric Cartman, who, along with his fellow South Park friends, is playing in a band called Lil Rush. “Now shut the f—ing door!”

Finally, the trio find Rush, as ancient versions of Lee and Lifeson sit playing a game of go-fish. When one of the kids opens a closet, exposing Rush’s "Absurdly Prophetic Robes,” a blinding light begins to fill up the room. A whirlwind montage soon plays across the screens, showing Rush throughout their multi-decade career. When it hits its climactic peak, two silhouettes shrouded in smoke appear onstage, ready to rock.

The short film (which you can watch below in the YouTube video from Timm Chapman) lasted less than 10 minutes, but served as the perfect appetizer to Rush’s main course. It honored the group’s history in an entertaining and enjoyable way – fun, honest and with plenty of the band’s distinctive humor. The intro clip set the stage for Rush’s triumphant return, and – assuming it will be utilized at all of the band’s reunion shows – it’s an element of the concert that should not be missed.