Motörhead: Full details of Lemmy Forever ceremony and statue unveiling revealed

Full details about the Lemmy Forever ceremony and statue unveiling in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday 9th May 2025 have been revealed.

The ceremony will take place in Burslem town centre at approximately 4pm, and Motörhead’s longest-serving guitarist Phil Campbell will attend to place a portion of Lemmy’s ashes in the lifelike statue of Ian Fraser Kilmister created by local sculptor and keen Motörhead aficionado Andy Edwards.

Fans are invited to come early before the event to enjoy some pre-ceremonial Motörhead beverages at the various site-adjacent watering holes like the Old Post Office bar and Ale House.

The Market Place Café will also have refreshments, including a special Motörhead roast of the day.

Other festivities at the ceremony include a biker’s corteo accompanying Lemmy’s ashes, various speakers, and a roaring 21-rev salute which will hit the skies in ceremonial reverence to the late-great Lemmy.

Fans can also visit The Bare Walls Art Gallery where rarely seen Lemmy photos will be on display.

For those driving to the ceremony, parking will be available at Port Vale Football Club, a 7-minute walk away, and if arriving by train, Ace Taxis will be available to get from the station to the event via 01782 822228.

Later in the evening, Grumpy’s bar will host A Night of Music to Celebrate the Life of Lemmy, hosting the Motörhead tribute band Motörwrecked, as well as hosting an auction of exclusive items supplied by Motörhead’s record label and merchandise companies.

Limited wristbands for the auction costing £10 are on sale from The Old Post Office Bar.

Music Mania will also be hosting an event at the Mitchell Arts Centre in Hanley from 7.30pm to 10.30pm featuring Motörhead tribute band Motörheadache. Tickets costing £18 are on sale here.

The Lemmy Forever ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on International Motörhead Day – Thursday 8th May – however, it was pushed back out of respect for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Andy Edwards’ Lemmy statue depicts Lemmy throwing an iconic stage pose in 1981.

Edwards has previously created a series of famous sculptures including The Beatles on Liverpool’s Pier Head, The Bee Gees in Douglas, Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at Derby County’s Pride Park, and Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie Stadium.

Speaking to Planet Rock about the statue, Edwards said: “We're very conscious that this monument is going to be a shrine of sorts so amongst the excitement is a sense of deep reverence too. I just hope people feel we've done him justice."

Take a sneak peak at the Lemmy statue during the production process here:

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• Motorhead
• Lemmy
• Lemmy Kilmister