Full Breakdown
Duff McKagan Leads Lemmy Tribute at Download Festival, Reflects on 38-Year Donington Legacy
6/22/2026, 12:20:39 AM
Lemmy Forever Tribute at Download 2024
On Saturday, at the Download Festival in Castle Donington, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan hosted a ceremony called “Lemmy Forever.” The event featured Lemmy’s Lounge, displayed a portion of the late Motorhead frontman’s ashes, and invited festival-goers to pay respects. McKagan, who headlined the same day with Guns N’ Roses, described the venue as the “mother of all festivals” in an interview with the BBC.
Festival History and McKagan’s Donington Ties
Castle Donington hosted the Monsters of Rock tour from 1980 to 1996 before the larger Download Festival began in 2003. Guns N’ Roses first played Donington at Monsters of Rock in 1988, a show that required a quick detour from a U.S. tour with Aerosmith. McKagan recalled the logistics: “We were on tour with Aerosmith but we had been booked for Donington… we played New York with Aerosmith, did the gig at Donington, and then flew back.” He now calls the site “the first festival we ever played” and “the festival you want to be at.”
Lemmy’s Ashes and Fan Interaction
Lemmy’s Lounge displayed a portion of the frontman’s ashes throughout the festival, allowing fans to view and pay respects. After the event, the ashes were moved to the O2 Apollo in Manchester, where they will remain for most of the year before returning to Download each year as an annual pilgrimage.
Official Statements
McKagan emphasized Lemmy’s influence, placing him alongside Iggy Pop and Prince as part of his personal “Big Three” of rock icons. He praised Lemmy’s “pure” approach to rock, saying the late singer “never strayed from the truth as he saw rock’n’roll.” McKagan also reiterated that Download is “the mother of all festivals” and remains “the festival you want to be at.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “He was just one of those guys like Iggy or Prince. I like to have a Big Three, and Lemmy is one of the Big Three,” — Duff McKagan, bassist, Guns N’ Roses
- “He never strayed from the truth as he saw rock'n'roll. He lived it that way. He made records that way.” — Duff McKagan
- “I don't want to say he was a normal guy, but he was a lovely gentleman.” — Duff McKagan
- “This is the mother of all of them. This is the first festival we ever played. It remains the festival you want to be at,” — Duff McKagan
- “We were on tour with Aerosmith but we had been booked for Donington,” — Duff McKagan
What’s Next: Annual Pilgrimage
The plan is for Lemmy’s ashes to return to Download each year, cementing the ongoing link between the late rocker and the festival that honors his legacy.
