The hometown of Lemmy Kilmister is preparing to celebrate his legacy with a brand-new music event. The first-ever Burslem Urban Rock Festival will take place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, bringing a day of live rock music to the town where the Motörhead icon was born.
The free festival will be staged around Lemmy Plaza, the space surrounding the bronze statue dedicated to the late musician in Burslem’s Market Place in Stoke-on-Trent. The statue, created by sculptor Andy Edwards, was unveiled in May 2025 and quickly became a gathering point for fans of Motörhead visiting the town.
The event is being organised by The IFK Legacy CIC, a community project focused on preserving and celebrating Lemmy’s cultural influence. The festival will feature seven bands performing on an outdoor stage, while additional live music will take place throughout the day in local pubs and venues across Burslem.
Hosting duties will be handled by Lemmy’s longtime friend Stephen “Krusher” Joule, who worked closely with Motörhead for many years and was part of the band’s inner circle during their touring career.
One of the major highlights of the festival will be a performance by the tribute band Motörheadache, which will include a special appearance from Lucas Fox, Motörhead’s original drummer. Fox is expected to travel from France to join the show, bringing a direct connection to the earliest days of the band.
The festival will also showcase a range of emerging artists and local talent from the Stoke-on-Trent music scene. Opening the event at midday will be Walking Alone, a trio of teenagers aged just 13 and 14 who will perform original songs along with a cover of Motörhead’s classic track “No Class.”
Other bands confirmed to appear on the outdoor stage include Bang Bang Firecracker, Mercury, Wolves in Alcatraz, Jesse’s Divide, and The Ghoules. In addition to the main stage performances, eight more bands will be playing in venues across the town during the festival, turning the entire area into a celebration of live rock music.
Later in the evening, Joule will host a special talk at Old No.6 in Lemmy Plaza, sharing stories from his years working with Motörhead and touring alongside Lemmy. Lucas Fox will also appear at the event, giving fans the chance to hear first-hand stories about the band’s early days. Tickets for the talk are priced at £10.
The festival is part of a wider initiative aimed at turning Burslem into a destination connected to Lemmy’s legacy. Organisers behind the IFK Legacy Project are working on plans to open a Lemmy visitor centre, a Motörhead shop, and a venue called Lemmy’s Lounge bar in the town.
There are also long-term proposals to transform the historic Queen’s Theatre into a new 1,000-capacity live venue called Kilmister Halls, which would further establish Burslem as a hub for rock music and live performance.
Andy Edwards, the sculptor behind the Lemmy statue, has said that the wider project is about more than just a single event. The aim is to keep live music alive in the town while helping regenerate the area connected to one of rock’s most iconic figures.
Lemmy founded Motörhead in 1975 and became one of the most recognizable personalities in rock history, known for his unmistakable voice, thunderous bass playing and uncompromising attitude. Even after his death in 2015 at the age of 70, his influence on heavy metal, punk and hard rock continues to be felt around the world.
The statue in Burslem — which contains a portion of Lemmy’s ashes — has already become a landmark for fans. With the launch of the Burslem Urban Rock Festival, his birthplace is now turning that tribute into a full celebration of rock music, ensuring that Lemmy’s spirit continues to echo through the streets where his story began.
