Motörhead plans permanent tribute for Lemmy Kilmister at Manchester Apollo

Motörhead has announced plans for a special memorial for their late frontman, Lemmy Kilmister, at Manchester Apollo. On June 16, a portion of Lemmy’s ashes will be permanently placed at the venue, providing fans with a physical location to remember the iconic musician. This announcement follows the seventh annual Lemmy Forever tribute, which will be held on June 12 at the Download Festival in Donington Park.

The ceremony at the Download Festival will take place at Lemmy’s Lounge on-site at 3 p.m. During the event, a miniature of Lemmy Kilmister’s custom urn, containing a portion of his ashes, will be placed inside a classic fruit machine. Following this ceremony, the same ashes will be transported to O2 Apollo Manchester for a second ceremony on June 16 at noon. These ashes will then permanently reside at the Manchester venue, providing fans with a place to pay their respects to Lemmy year-round, with annual pilgrimages to the Download Festival each June.

Motörhead’s manager, Todd Singerman, expressed the band’s dedication to honoring Lemmy’s legacy, stating, “Not everyone can make the pilgrimage to visit Lemmy in Hollywood, so we are bringing Lem back to his fans.” Singerman emphasized the importance of providing fans with a physical location to remember Lemmy, where they can gather, share stories, and spend a moment with the rock legend. Lemmy Kilmister passed away in December 2015 at the age of 70, leaving behind a lasting impact on the music industry.

Throughout his career, Lemmy performed at the Download Festival four times with Motörhead, and the band was scheduled to play at the 2016 event before his untimely death. His ashes have been scattered at various locations around the world as part of the Lemmy Forever initiative, including sites such as Hellfest in France, Wacken Open Air in Germany, Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood, Stringfellows in London, Bloodstock Open Air, and his hometown of Burslem in Stoke-on-Trent.

Fans and friends of Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead will come together at the ceremonies to commemorate the rock icon and share stories about his life and music. The Manchester ceremony also provides attendees with the opportunity to pay tribute to the late Motörhead guitarist, Phil Campbell. Previous ceremonies have seen Lemmy’s ashes displayed in an urn shaped like his iconic cavalry hat, with a convoy of Harley Davidson bikers escorting a bust containing his ashes to Nottingham Rock City.

The announcement of the permanent memorial for Lemmy Kilmister at Manchester Apollo signifies a meaningful continuation of the band’s dedication to honoring his memory and providing fans with a space to remember his legendary career in music.