Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath Set for Farewell Concert

Legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath is reuniting for a final, historic performance in Birmingham on July 5, with frontman Ozzy Osbourne taking the stage 

Legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath is reuniting for a final, historic performance in Birmingham on July 5, with frontman Ozzy Osbourne taking the stage one last time for a charitable cause.

The iconic rock group will headline an all-day festival at Villa Park, featuring a lineup of bands influenced by their groundbreaking music. Some of the biggest names in metal, including Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Gojira, and Anthrax, will join them for the event.

This farewell show marks the first time in two decades that the original members—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—will perform together. Osbourne, who has significantly reduced live performances due to Parkinson’s disease and spinal injuries, will open with a short solo set before reuniting with his bandmates.

His wife, Sharon Osbourne, shared his determination to give fans a proper sendoff.

"He's doing great. He's doing really great," she told. "He's so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It's exciting for everyone."

She also confirmed that this would be Ozzy’s final time on stage.

"Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's been no full stop. This is his full stop."

Heavy Metal’s Grand Finale

The event, titled Back to the Beginning, was unveiled at Villa Park on Wednesday by Sharon Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi.

Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, serving as musical director, described it as "the greatest heavy metal show ever."

All proceeds from the concert will go to charity, supporting Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice, an organization backed by Aston Villa.

Other major acts in the lineup include Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, and Mastodon. Additionally, a special supergroup featuring Billy Corgan, Slash, Fred Durst, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Morello will deliver unique performances.

"It's an endless amount of people," said Sharon Osbourne. "They're going to be doing some Sabbath songs, some Ozzy songs, and they'll all mix together. Different little groups will be coming on, but they're all icons."

Black Sabbath, formed in 1968, had their very first rehearsal just blocks away from Villa Park at Newtown Community Centre. The band previously played a farewell concert in 2017 at Birmingham’s NEC Arena, performing for 16,000 fans. That night, they played classics from their early years, including War Pigs, N.I.B., and Black Sabbath, before closing with their legendary track Paranoid.

The 2017 concert concluded an 81-date global tour, after which Osbourne expressed gratitude for their supporters.

"I've got to tell you something, what a journey we've all had," he told the crowd. "We started this in 1968 and now it's 2017—I don’t believe that, man. But you know what? We wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t for the fan base. So if you’re a veteran fan, great. If you’re new, welcome. But I can’t tell you enough how grateful we are for your support."

Following that tour, Osbourne released two solo albums, Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9. However, his health struggles intensified after a 2003 ATV accident and a serious fall in 2019 that led to multiple surgeries. In 2020, he publicly revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis and mostly stepped away from performing, with his last major appearance being the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Despite his retirement from touring, Osbourne recently spoke to Rolling Stone UK about his longing to return to the stage.

"I'm taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will," he said. "But it's been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life."

Determined to make his last show a momentous one, he added, "I'm not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy. What's the [expletive] point in that? I'm not going up there in a [expletive] wheelchair."