[SPOILERS] Setlist Rotations for the Two Night Stints

[James Bond]

It seems we're starting to see a new pattern emerge. In Mexico, they had done Moving Pictures for the first night and 2112 the second, but now it seems they've settled into 2112 on the first night and Moving Pictures on the second. I think that will probably remain unchanged, and it's what we all expected.

 

Of course, the bigger change is all the tweaks to set one to rotate in everything that won't see a permanent home anymore. Almost every night stands to be different in some capacity now based on the three shows so far beyond Toronto. Even though there aren't likely to be any changes to the song list, at least for the remaining 2026 shows, I figured it's time enough to have a thread dedicated to the nightly rotations.

[thizzellewashington]

I'm glad the "B" set is the one they seem to be using as the basis for the 2112 nights. Analog Kid was one of the songs I was most excited when they broke out.

[Lurkst]

La Villa /. Natural Science back to back was quite a surprise to see in the set last night. Been a while since they played two "epics" in a row 

[MxMisery]

With these two night stands, I think the full 2112 suite one night & Moving Pictures the other night is probably a guarantee…it’s which of the rotating songs they’ll pull out for each city between the two nights that’s an open ended question me thinks.

 

At the two Philly shows, I was taken surprise (a rather pleasant one, I should add) that instead of Leave That Thing Alone we got La Villa again the second night…only for them to make me lose it & go wild when they dished out AFTK right afterwards.

[James Bond]

I wonder what songs have been played the least so far. Distant Early Warning hasn't been played since the first night in Toronto, but tonight could prove me wrong.

[TheAnarchist2112]

1 hour ago, James Bond said:

I wonder what songs have been played the least so far. Distant Early Warning hasn't been played since the first night in Toronto, but tonight could prove me wrong.

the bottom ten least played songs on this tour are:

Bangkok

Animate

Distant Early Warning

Analog Kid

Caravan

Leave That Thing Alone

Natural Science

The Anarchist

A Farewell To Kings

The Pass

[Peter Griffin]

I attended the first Detroit show and have tickets for tonight, so it will be interesting to see what we get.  I like how even though there is a basic, core group of 4 setlists, each one has a variation so you never know exactly what you are going to get.  This is both a treat and an extreme rarity for a Rush fan going to multiple shows.

 

I'll be happy with anything, of course, but hoping for Headlong Flight, By-Tor, and The Trees tonight, and possibly AFTK as well as Detroit #2, likely my last ever Rush concert.

 

I'm going to both gigs with a lifelong friend, and we caught our first ever Rush concert in 1984 on P/G.  They played zero songs from that album at the first Detroit show so I'm expecting DEW or Red Sector A tonight.  

 

Lastly, based on Philly nights #1 and #2 they played 13 different songs between the two shows, so that's pretty good variation.

Edited August 28 by Peter Griffin

[ytserush]

11 hours ago, MxMisery said:

With these two night stands, I think the full 2112 suite one night & Moving Pictures the other night is probably a guarantee…it’s which of the rotating songs they’ll pull out for each city between the two nights that’s an open ended question me thinks.

 

At the two Philly shows, I was taken surprise (a rather pleasant one, I should add) that instead of Leave That Thing Alone we got La Villa again the second night…only for them to make me lose it & go wild when they dished out AFTK right afterwards.

 

I'd have wanted Leave That Thing Alone, but La Villa was a decent consolation prize. Witnessing A Farewell To Kings again was icing on the cake.

[ytserush]

9 hours ago, TheAnarchist2112 said:

the bottom ten least played songs on this tour are:

Bangkok

Animate

Distant Early Warning

Analog Kid

Caravan

Leave That Thing Alone

Natural Science

The Anarchist

A Farewell To Kings

The Pass

Managed to catch 7 of those at my two shows.  Missing Leave That Thing Alone and Natural Science really hurt but catching Bravado and Vital Signs twice takes the sting out of it.

[Lurkst]

Detroit #2 same setlist as Philly #2 (which I thought was excellent so no complaints )

[Peter Griffin]

On 8/28/2026 at 3:53 PM, Peter Griffin said:

I'll be happy with anything, of course, but hoping for Headlong Flight, By-Tor, and The Trees tonight, and possibly AFTK as well as Detroit #2, likely my last ever Rush concert.

 

I'm going to both gigs with a lifelong friend, and we caught our first ever Rush concert in 1984 on P/G.  They played zero songs from that album at the first Detroit show so I'm expecting DEW or Red Sector A tonight.  

 

Lastly, based on Philly nights #1 and #2 they played 13 different songs between the two shows, so that's pretty good variation.

 

Great show on Friday and I can't complain one bit!  Quoting myself above, looks like all the bolded stuff came true.

 

Oh, I was wrong about the setlist variations in Philly -- it was not 13 different songs, just 9, but still solid variation.

 

To those with tickets in hand for future shows, you are in for a treat.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Gary Graff of The Oakland Press wrote a pretty solid review of the Friday show (love the photo to headline the article as well)

 

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2026/08/29/rush-offers-significant-changes-during-second-show-at-little-caesars-arena/

 

And I like his opening line about the setlists.  Not something you'd normally hear mentioned about a Rush tour:

 

Quote

 

Rare is the band, especially at the arena headline level, that offers a significantly different experience on two consecutive shows at the same venue.

 

Rush is an exception this year, however.

 

<snip>

 

So on Friday, Aug. 28, Rush’s second show at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena sported nine different selections amidst the 22 (or 24, depending how you count the three-part suite from 1976’s “2112”) songs the quartet played.

 

 

 

[H to O]

I was fortunate to be at both Detroit shows. 3rd row center Wednesday, and 11th row on left side (stage right) for Friday.  It was great for me to experience the two different prospectives, and what seemed like two very different Rush shows.  Show 1 was AWESOME, and Show 2 was AWESOME, but seemed darker and more serious for me…  

 

Both shows were complimented by being surrounded by AWESOME RUSH FANS.  What a freaking pleasure!!!  It was show 25 and 26 for me since the Signals Tour in ‘82, and I absolutely could not be happier!

 

Thank you Alex, Geddy, Neil, Anika, Loren and the whole Rush Team.  You are delivering  an amazing experience of the beauty that is RUSH!!!

 

Now, I begin research on how show 27 goes down! 🙂

[Jag2112]

You can see all the variations here along with set list grids, calendar views, and more...

 

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/setlists.php?tour_id=32#TOUR

 

And even with all this, it's impossible to predict what they'll play each night :)

[Todem]

16 hours ago, Jag2112 said:

You can see all the variations here along with set list grids, calendar views, and more...

 

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/setlists.php?tour_id=32#TOUR

 

And even with all this, it's impossible to predict what they'll play each night :)

We seem to know night one Side 1 2112 night two Moving Pictures Complete.

 

Songs that are rotating

 

Natural Science

The Analog Kid

Distant Early Warning

A Farewell to Kings

Red Sector A

Caravan

Headlong Flight

La Villa (This seems to have replaced LTTA on two night stints moving forward but who knows?)

By Tor

Finding My Way

The Trees

Dreamline

Animate

Anthem

New World Man

Freewill

Edited September 3 by Todem

[James Bond]

Distant Early Warning returned in Montreal! It's probably a top three Rush song for me. On some days, it might even be the top.

 

I spent many years being bitter (not really, of course) that in 2007 I got Summertime Blues in its place. Then it quietly disappeared from the set list among the many other times I got to see the band. I finally locked it in in 2015, and then again in Toronto last month. Then it disappeared until Wednesday night in Montreal, which is probably the best I've heard it in person. Anika was thundering, Alex's tone was spot on, and Geddy was on fire.

 

I think I mostly got everything I truly wanted to see. I'm a little sad to have missed The Analog Kid and The Pass, and maybe even New World Man, but I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to catch two shows in any capacity.

[yyz305]

On 9/4/2026 at 5:53 AM, Todem said:

We seem to know night one Side 1 2112 night two Moving Pictures Complete.

 

Songs that are rotating

 

Natural Science

The Analog Kid

Distant Early Warning

A Farewell to Kings

Red Sector A

Caravan

Headlong Flight

La Villa (This seems to have replaced LTTA on two night stints moving forward but who knows?)

By Tor

Finding My Way

The Trees

Dreamline

Animate

Anthem

New World Man

Freewill

If they were to replace a song for the 2027 run, what do we think will be the song to go?

[Lurkst]

27 minutes ago, yyz305 said:

If they were to replace a song for the 2027 run, what do we think will be the song to go?

 

Of that list Caravan was the one I enjoyed least. Swap Marathon in for it 

[yyz305]

31 minutes ago, Lurkst said:

 

Of that list Caravan was the one I enjoyed least. Swap Marathon in for it 

I love both of those!

[James Bond]

Caravan is a song I've always struggled with. It never quite gets there for me. I was happy to have it swapped for Headlong Flight by the time I got "Set A" last month.

[Todem]

I happen to love Caravan. 
 

I would easily drop Closer to the Heart for another deeper cut.

 

 

[TheGhostRider]

5 hours ago, Todem said:

I happen to love Caravan. 
 

I would easily drop Closer to the Heart for another deeper cut.

 

 

I feel the same way. I am all about the deep cuts this tour. If I had my way I would drop CTTH, Tom Sawyer, Limelight, SOR and Limelight to make room for more of these cuts. I am thrilled that I got to hear Xanadu,  Analog Kid, A Passage to Bangkok, Anthem,  2112 (in full) The Trees, La Villa Strangiato (haven’t seen that live since I was 8 in 2011) so far. I am hoping to catch AFTK, Red Sector A, DEW, New World Man, Natural Science, Dreamline, and Bytor on my upcoming shows. I would be thrilled if I could get at least half of that list. 

Edited September 7 by TheGhostRider

[XanaD.E.W.]

So I am going to both nights in Cleveland next week (9/17 & 9/19), and I am expecting the full 2112 for the first night, however, (I am thinking aloud here,) since they already did the full MP and filmed in Cleveland back in 2011, perhaps they may play another set instead? Just hypothesizing here,... but, then again, if they do play the full MP, I am ok too. I mean that's the album that turned me on to them so long ago!

 

And who knows if Aimee will show for both of those nights too. Should be interesting!

[Flame]

On 9/8/2026 at 3:02 PM, XanaD.E.W. said:

So I am going to both nights in Cleveland next week (9/17 & 9/19), and I am expecting the full 2112 for the first night, however, (I am thinking aloud here,) since they already did the full MP and filmed in Cleveland back in 2011, perhaps they may play another set instead? Just hypothesizing here,... but, then again, if they do play the full MP, I am ok too. I mean that's the album that turned me on to them so long ago!

 

And who knows if Aimee will show for both of those nights too. Should be interesting!

Along those lines…

Anika said something intriguing on her Instagram: said she’d gone to see Toto, said “the office was closed for a few days,” and, meanwhile, there was “something cooking for you.”

 

New song? 
Is she comfortable enough with the first bucket that there’s room to squeeze in more?

Also said something about “practicing quintuples”…

how ‘bout it, drummers? Is that a clue? 

[James Bond]

On 9/8/2026 at 3:02 PM, XanaD.E.W. said:

So I am going to both nights in Cleveland next week (9/17 & 9/19), and I am expecting the full 2112 for the first night, however, (I am thinking aloud here,) since they already did the full MP and filmed in Cleveland back in 2011, perhaps they may play another set instead? Just hypothesizing here,... but, then again, if they do play the full MP, I am ok too. I mean that's the album that turned me on to them so long ago!

 

And who knows if Aimee will show for both of those nights too. Should be interesting!

 

Arguably that would be true for any repeat cities from 2010/2011. I expect Cleveland will still get Moving Pictures for the second night! What I'm quickly becoming more interested in since I originally started this thread is what they are going to decide for the single night cities.

 

As for Aimee Mann, she herself said she'd be in Cleveland, right? I think at this point it's clear they had her come to Toronto to film at least one performance with her for the Blu-ray, but I wouldn't rule out her still appearing in Cleveland and/or some other cities along the way if it fits her schedule.

 

13 hours ago, Flame said:

Along those lines…

Anika said something intriguing on her Instagram: said she’d gone to see Toto, said “the office was closed for a few days,” and, meanwhile, there was “something cooking for you.”

 

New song? 
Is she comfortable enough with the first bucket that there’s room to squeeze in more?

Also said something about “practicing quintuples”…

how ‘bout it, drummers? Is that a clue? 

 

In the very same post she acknowledged that she is still in Toronto, so they must be staying there for this little gap between Montreal and Boston. Could there be another song in the pipeline to tighten up and add to the rotation? Perhaps one that was on the chopping block back in the early rehearsals? I kind of expected that for the 2027 shows they'd swap a song or two, but her post is definitely interesting.