MOTÖRHEAD announces seventh 'Lemmy Forever' ceremony at U.K.'s DOWNLOAD festival 2026
10-06-2026
On June 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. local time at Donington Park in Castle Donington, England, fans will once again gather to celebrate our friend, our brother, and one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest icons, Lemmy Kilmister, at the legendary Download festival.
As part of the ongoing “Lemmy Forever” initiative, a special ceremony will take place at the onsite Lemmy’s Lounge, where a miniature of Lemmy‘s custom urn containing a portion of some of his ashes will be enshrined in a vessel which represents one of Lemmy‘s true loves in life, and something which went on the road with him too, a place he would undoubtedly have approved of — the classic fruit machine.
For years, these ceremonies have been about making sure Lemmy remains where he belongs: among the fans, the music, and the places that meant something to him. Because of his brotherly connection, Phil Campbell always felt strongly about personally placing Lemmy‘s ashes at these events. With Phil‘s unfortunate passing, another longtime friend of Lemmy‘s — someone who knew him well and shared that same spirit of friendship and loyalty — will carry the torch (as many of his friends have carried on the torch of keeping his legacy alive) this year and preside over the ceremony.
The “Lemmy Forever” journey has already seen Lemmy honored at some of Lemmy‘s favorite places, including Hellfest in France, Wacken Open Air in Germany, Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood, Stringfellows in London, Bloodstock Open Air and in Lemmy‘s hometown of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
“It remains a responsibility we proudly carry,” says MOTÖRHEAD manager Todd Singerman. “Not everyone can make the pilgrimage to visit Lemmy in Hollywood, so we are bringing Lem back to his fans. These places meant something to him, and they mean something to the people who loved him. It’s important that they have somewhere they can come, raise a glass, share a story, and spend a moment with him.”
The ceremony will also give fans a chance to pay their respects for Lemmy‘s bandmate, longtime guitarist Phil Campbell, who tragically passed away in March of this year.
“When Phil passed, we lost such an important family member, and I know Lem would insist we all raise a glass to Phil as well,” says Singerman.
Following Download, Lemmy‘s journey will continue north. On June 16 at 12:00 p.m., the same ashes that were enshrined at Download festival will be transported to O2 Apollo Manchester , where a further “Lemmy Forever” ceremony will take place.
Friends of Lemmy will gather to share stories, celebrate his extraordinary life, and honor a man whose influence on rock ‘n’ roll remains as powerful today as ever. Fans will once again have the opportunity to spend time with Lemmy, pay their respects, and be part of the continuing celebration of his legacy.
In a fitting tribute to one of Britain’s most beloved rock icons, these ashes will make the pilgrimage to Download festival each year before returning home to O2 Apollo Manchester, where fans will be able to visit Lemmy throughout the rest of the year. It is another way of ensuring that Lem remains where he always belonged — among the people, the music, and the community that meant so much to him.
According to BBC News, a mini MOTÖRHEAD museum has just opened in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, England, the town where frontman Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister was born.
IFK Legacy CIC created the new venue, which includes a bar serving official MOTÖRHEAD beers and “Lemmy lemonade”, alongside the aforementioned museum featuring MOTÖRHEAD memorabilia and artwork.
Fans will be able to visit from Friday, May 1 at 12 noon, just in time for the bank holiday weekend.
Old No. 6 has been created to welcome visitors from around the world who come to see the Lemmy statue, explore Burslem and discover more of Stoke On Trent. It will also help raise funds for the Lemmy Project, including plans to transform the Grade II listed Queen’s Theatre into Kilmister Halls — a 1,500 capacity music venue and cultural hub honoring the MOTÖRHEAD frontman.
A year ago, a Lemmy statue was unveiled during a ceremony in Burslem. The statue was constructed by local sculptor Andy Edwards out of Staffordshire clay. MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell was in attendance to place Lemmy‘s ashes in the statue with accompaniment from a biker’s corteo. The statue itself captures Lemmy in all his live glory from the 1981 era, which saw MOTÖRHEAD headline the Heavy Metal Holocaust just down the road at Port Vale Stadium back on August 1, 1981.
The unveiling of the Lemmy statue was held on May 9, 2025 during the “Lemmy Forever” ceremony in Burslem.
With MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell attending to place Lemmy‘s ashes in a magnificent statue created by Edwards, who is a huge MOTÖRHEAD fan, the day was filled with fun, friends, and some volume too.
The ceremony commenced in Burslem town center at approximately 4:00 p.m., with friends invited to come early and make a day of it by enjoying some pre-ceremonial MOTÖRHEAD beverages at the various site-adjacent hostelries including Old Post Office bar and Ale House, while the Market Place Café also had refreshments, including a special MOTÖRHEAD roast of the day.
Some of the ceremonial festivities included a biker’s corteo accompanying the ashes, various speakers, and a roaring 21-rev salute which hit the skies in ceremonial reverence. The statue itself captures Lemmy in all his live glory from the 1981 era, which saw MOTÖRHEAD headline the Heavy Metal Holocaust just down the road at Port Vale Stadium back on August 1, 1981.
MOTÖRHEAD fan Nobby, who was at the ceremony, told BBC Radio Stoke he had been following the band since he was 15 and described the unveiling as “absolutely awesome”.
“It’s unbelievable — it looks alive. Looking at it now, he really has captured Lemmy to a tee. It’s brilliant,” he said.
“It’s well worth the wait, well worth everything and I hope it brings people to Burslem to see it.”
Edwards, who had previously created sculptures of THE BEATLES, Bob Marley, Sir Alex Ferguson, Muhammed Ali and the BEE GEES, said: “Of all the figures in music, there aren’t that many that have the unique stature that Lemmy does. He’s like an avatar of the purest spirit of rock and roll — he’s one of us. I think it’s right that it the statue has been made locally.”
Lemmy, who was born in Burslem and later lived in nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme and Madeley, died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.
MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy‘s poor health, although the band did manage to complete a European tour a couple of weeks before his death.
In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, “Lemmy”, will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, “Lemmy”.
Back in November 2016, Rainbow Bar & Grill dedicated its patio to Lemmy and re-named it “Lemmy’s Lounge.” It was a fitting gesture from the Rainbow, as when Lemmy wasn’t touring or recording, the majority of his waking hours were spent on said patio. There was already a life-size bronze statue immortalizing Lemmy at the Rainbow, which attracts fans from all over the world, and Lemmy’s Lounge allows hardcore fans and casual patrons alike to sample the wares and atmosphere that Lemmy loved so much.
To celebrate Lemmy’s Lounge, Roxy owner Nic Adler and Goldenvoice‘s Paul Tollett kindly agreed to allow the painting of a celebratory mural commemorating the life of Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD on the side wall of the Roxy, opposite Lemmy’s Lounge and statue.
According to Visit West Hollywood, Lemmy loved the Rainbow so much that he moved to West Hollywood to be closer to it. In the last two decades of his life, he was a daily fixture at the Rainbow whenever the band was not on tour, and he was often seen playing the bar’s video poker machine.
Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.
MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy‘s poor health, although the band did manage to complete the aforementioned European tour a couple of weeks before his death.
In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, “Lemmy”, will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, “Lemmy”.
A custom-made urn containing Lemmy‘s ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
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