Download festival is calling on its fans to decide what its popular second stage should be called as the rock community prepares for the first full-scale event in three years. Fans are asked to submit their name suggestions through the festival website and a shortlist will be created before the winning name is announced on Friday, May 13.
Festival attendees will be able to vote for their favourite names through the event's social media. Fans reacted instantly to the competition by suggesting names that commemorated some of the genre's biggest musical talents that have passed away in recent years.
One of the most suggested names was for Sylvia Lancaster, the mother of murdered 20-year-old Sophie Lancaster who was the victim of a hate crime in 2007. Sophie and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, were targeted by their killers due to their gothic clothing. Her mother went on to form the Sophie Lancaster Foundation which championed people from alternative subcultures and created educational programs to tackle prejudice and intolerance”.
