This is an opinion piece.
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson getting back out there playing Rush’s hits is a moment to celebrate. For many of us, this Rush reunion is a personal and emotional moment after Neil Peart’s death, but there’s also a limit to how much fans can afford. Judging by the current ticket prices, that limit has been reached.
Fans are not happy with Rush ticket prices
Reports from fans across different cities suggest that ticket prices for Rush reunion tour range from $350 to $400 for mid-level seats, $300-plus for nosebleeds, and “premium packages” ranging from $650 to $2,500.
Those premium tickets often come with little more than some trinkets, a laminate, and early access to the merch booth — hardly the kind of value Rush fans would expect from a band known for substance over flash.
Yes, Geddy and Alex deserve to be compensated. They’ve earned their legacy and the right to charge what the market calls for. But this doesn’t feel like that, and feels like promoters and ticket outlets milking fans dry. It’s a cynical experiment in how far fan loyalty can be stretched. Some argue the pricing is a preemptive strike against scalpers, set the face value at what resellers would charge anyway so the band gets the money, and not the bots. Maybe there’s some truth to that logic. Still, for the average fan who’s supported Rush for decades, it rings hollow.
Rush’s tickets used to be affordable
What stings most is the contrast. Many of these same fans remember paying $60 or $70 for floor seats during the Snakes & Arrows tour. Now, those same venues are charging five times that amount.
In a time when the economy is uncertain, this feels out of touch. The people being priced out aren’t casual listeners — they’re the faithful, the ones who filled arenas year after year, album after album.
Maybe this short run is just a test, a limited engagement meant to gauge interest before a larger tour. If that’s the case, hopefully someone in the Rush camp takes note of the frustration simmering online. Because while demand might justify these prices in the short term, the goodwill that Rush has built over forty years is something that shouldn’t be cashed in on so casually.
For many fans, their last memory of Rush was the R40 tour in 2015, Neil Peart behind the kit, the band closing out an era with dignity and gratitude. If these new shows price fans out of that experience, it risks replacing that warm memory with a sour one: the feeling that the music they loved has become a luxury item.
No one begrudges Geddy and Alex for playing again. But there’s a fine line between celebrating your legacy and commodifying it. And right now, too many loyal fans feel like they’ve been left on the wrong side of that line.
