The original Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will perform together for the first time in 20 years when they take to the stage to headline Back To The Beginning on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
Sharon Osbourne sat down with Birmingham Live to discuss the event.
Sharon: “I left that to Ozzy. He’s in constant contact with Tony and Geezer. And Bill too. They talk all the time. Ozzy said ‘I’m going to do my goodnight gig, my farewell, and would you come up and do Sabbath with me.’ He couldn’t do it on his own. And they all said yes. When they heard it was for charity, it was easy.”
“For Ozzy, it’s goodnight to his fans. The other guys in Sabbath will go on to their various projects but for Ozzy, it’s definitely farewell.”
The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see Ozzy play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow.
“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Ozzy said. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
Formed in Birmingham in 1968 and going on to become one of most successful metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath have sold over 75 million albums worldwide across their legendary career. Setting the blueprint for the many routes heavy metal took, Black Sabbath’s influence and importance is as vital today as it was in the early 1970s.
Music Director Tom Morello said: “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
Back To The Beginning will feature sets from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax and Mastodon.
The all-day event will also feature a supergroup of musicians. Artists announced so far include Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan & Slash (Guns ‘n Roses), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (Anthrax), Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Wolfgang Van Halen and Zakk Wylde.
More names will be announced shortly.
Tickets go on sale at 10 AM, GMT on Friday, February 14 at LiveNation.co.uk.
All profits will go to the following charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice, a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.
A message at the Aston Villa FC website reveals:
The concert is part of Aston Villa’s broader strategy to establish Villa Park as a world-class live events venue, combining the excitement of football with year-round entertainment.
The Club recently underwent a strategic redevelopment of Villa Park, designed to generate new revenue streams and reinforce Aston Villa’s position as an economic driver for West Midlands and beyond.
This project includes the recently announced North Grounds redevelopment and opening of The Warehouse, a new multi-use venue set to become a centrepiece of the matchday experience, a hub for year-round entertainment, and a must-play music venue for touring artists.
Chris Heck, President of Business Operations at Aston Villa FC, said: “We are delighted to host Birmingham-born legend Ozzy Osbourne at Villa Park.
“Live music events have and will continue to play a major role in our strategic plan for Aston Villa. They drive additional revenue streams that allow our Club to comply with stringent Premier League regulations, while ultimately solidifying our position as a world-class organisation capable of continually competing and winning at the highest level.
“By drawing in new audiences and keeping them engaged for longer, events like Ozzy Osbourne’s concert will play a key role in our continued success, on and off the pitch.”
This music event builds on a legacy of collaboration between Osbourne and Aston Villa. In July 2024, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler played an integral role in Aston Villa’s first-ever Adidas kit launch for the 2024/25 season.
Then, in October 2024, Aston Villa announced another exciting collaboration with Osbourne, with Adidas launching a limited edition Predator football boot and a specially-designed Villa shirt that paid homage to the ‘Prince of Darkness’ and his legendary band, Black Sabbath.
Most recently, Aston Villa and its supporters paid homage to Osbourne by displaying an awe-inspiring tifo depicting the Prince of Darkness at its Champions League game against Celtic.
Osbourne’s upcoming concert at Villa Park promises to be an extraordinary event, combining his unparalleled musical legacy with his undying love for the club. As a lifelong Villa supporter, this performance will be an emotional homecoming for the Prince of Darkness, who has always been vocal about his support for Aston Villa.
For full details on the show, including on tickets – and to register your interest for hospitality – click here.
Says Metallica: “We are beyond honored and humbled to be invited to perform at Black Sabbath’s final show, back where it all began in Birmingham, England. On July 5 at Villa Park—home of Aston Villa—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward will reunite to play their first show together in 20 years. Tickets go on sale at 10 AM, GMT on Friday, February 14, via Ticketmaster UK and Live Nation UK.
“As part of this huge celebration of nearly six decades of Black Sabbath, we’ll hit the stage just before a short solo set from Ozzy Osbourne, followed by the mighty Sabbath closing the show. Anthrax, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Halestorm, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Pantera, and Slayer will also be a part of the massive night.
“An incredible lineup of musicians from around the globe will also be on hand to pay tribute, including Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan & Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), K.K. Downing, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (Anthrax), II (Sleep Token), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Wolfgang Van Halen, and Zakk Wylde.
“All profits from the night will go to the following charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice, a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa.
“Our admiration for Black Sabbath runs deep, and we cannot wait to be a part of this historic event! We’ll see you in Birmingham!”
(Insert photo – Aston Villa FC)
