Motörhead sets seventh Lemmy Forever ceremony at Download Festival 2026
Motörhead will stage the seventh Lemmy Forever ceremony at download festival 2026 on Friday, June 12, at 15 p.m. in Lemmy's Lounge. After the festival ends, some of Lemmy's ashes will move to the O2 Apollo Manchester and remain there permanently after another ceremony.
Lemmy's Lounge on June 12
The tribute puts a miniature version of Lemmy's special urn, containing some of his ashes, inside a classic fruit slot machine. Todd Singerman said the team is carrying out the ceremony duty now, after Phil Campbell's death in March left him responsible for the long-running memorial work.
"It's a responsibility we proudly carry. Not everyone can travel to Hollywood to visit Lemmy, so we're giving him back to his fans. These places meant a lot to him, and they mean a lot to the people who loved him." Singerman also said, "It's important that they have a place where they can come, raise a glass, tell a story and spend a moment with him."
Manchester takes the next part
The Manchester transfer happens on the night of June 14th and 15th, when the ashes will go to the O2 Apollo Manchester for another Lemmy Forever ceremony before staying there permanently. That gives the tribute a second fixed home after the festival, which is a sharper move than a one-off stage display and keeps the memorial tied to places where fans can actually visit.
Lemmy died in December 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, and the memorial route has kept widening since then. Some of his ashes have already appeared at London's Stringfellows club in 2024, been carried by a convoy of 55 motorcyclists on Harley-Davidson motorcycles to Rock City in Nottingham, and turned up at Bloodstock Open Air every year, the Rainbow Bar & Grill in Los Angeles, and Wacken Open Air in Germany.
Download Festival history
Lemmy played Download Festival in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2013, so the 2026 ceremony lands in a place already threaded through his live history. Singerman said, "When Phil passed away, we lost an important family member. I know Lemmy would have insisted that we all raise a glass to Phil as well." The tribute now does two things at once: it keeps the festival link alive and shifts part of the ashes into Manchester for good.
