The ashes of Motörhead legend Lemmy are set to go on display at Download Festival, which gets underway today, before taking up permanent residence in an iconic Manchester venue.
'Lemmy Forever' Ceremony at Download
The rock band have announced they will be holding their seventh 'Lemmy Forever' ceremony at the festival as a tribute to their beloved friend and bandmate. Lemmy, whose real name was Ian Fraser Kilmister, passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
The legendary musician, born in Stoke, has been honoured at Download Festival for several years, and organisers have confirmed the tradition will continue this year. The ashes will be on show in the dedicated onsite area known as Lemmy's Lounge, where a miniature of his custom urn, containing a portion of his ashes, will be enshrined within a fruit machine.
The tribute ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 12, at 3pm. However, this will not be the final opportunity for UK fans to pay their respects. Once the festival draws to a close, the ashes housed within the fruit machine will be moved to the O2 Apollo in Manchester, where they will remain on permanent display following a further 'Lemmy Forever' ceremony.
Ceremonies Coordinated by Phil Campbell
The ceremonies have been coordinated over the years by guitarist Phil Campbell. Sadly, Phil passed away in March this year at the age of 64 following complications arising from surgery. In the wake of his death, responsibility for organising 'Lemmy Forever' has been taken on by Motörhead's manager Todd Singerman.
Todd said: 'It remains a responsibility we proudly carry. 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.'
He went on to say that the 2026 ceremonies would also serve as an opportunity for fans to honour Phil. He described Phil as 'an important family member' and said that were Lemmy still alive, he would 'insist we all raise a glass to Phil'.
Lemmy's Ashes Have Travelled Widely
Lemmy's ashes have seen no shortage of travel, having been put on display in numerous locations over the years. In 2024, they were exhibited in an urn fashioned in the shape of his iconic hat at London's Stringfellow's strip club. They had also previously been escorted by a convoy of Harley Davidson bikers to Nottingham Rock City, and make an appearance at Bloodstock Festival each year. A portion was taken to the Los Angeles Rainbow Bar and Grill, while some were scattered at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany.
A quantity of the ashes were incorporated into an Ace of Spades tattoo on the middle finger of Metallica's James Hetfield. Meanwhile, some of those closest to him have had a portion of the ashes transformed into bullets.
Tributes to Lemmy Since His Passing
Since his passing 11 years ago, Lemmy has been honoured with a host of tributes. Metallica penned a track entitled Murder One, named after Lemmy's beloved amp, which chronicled his meteoric rise to stardom. He was further inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History, and had an extinct crocodile species, the Lemmysuchus, named in his honour. In November 2016, an asteroid called 243002 was officially named 243002 Lemmy.
