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”.
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Sylvia passed just weeks after it was announced that one of the murderers was due to be released from prison after his sentence was reduced. Festival fans wrote about the importance of recognising her hard work in promoting acceptance for the community.
One fan wrote: "Sylvia Lancaster stage, has to be for all the outstanding work this woman did."
Another agreed: "I also want to add my voice for Lancaster Stage, not only for Sophie but for her mum who passed this year and to honour the whole family as well. The battles that family went through after Sophie's passing to help bring acceptance and understanding for the alternative world and all people who are seen as "different" needs to be honoured."
Other names suggested by fans included Never Mind The Headliners, Here's The Second Stage, Monsters of Rock and the Taylor Hawkins stage after the Foo Fighters drummer who passed away earlier this year.
This year's headliners taking to the stage in June will be Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Megadeth, Steel Panther and The Darkness.
This year will mark the first full-scale Download festival in three years after it was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. The festival takes place at Donington Park from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June 2022, this year’s festival will be headlined by KISS, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro.
