This July 5th, Villa Park will host a once-in-a-lifetime event as Ozzy Osbourne takes the stage for his final live performance. The legendary frontman will reunite with his Black Sabbath bandmates—Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—for their first show together in two decades.
Titled Back to the Beginning, the concert will celebrate the pioneers of heavy metal and serve as a homecoming for Ozzy Osbourne, who was born in Birmingham, the city often credited as the birthplace of the genre. Before joining Black Sabbath for their closing set, Osbourne will perform a solo set of his own.
“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne 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.”
Black Sabbath, formed in Birmingham in 1968, went on to become one of the most influential and successful heavy metal bands of all time, selling over 75 million albums worldwide. Their pioneering sound set the foundation for generations of metal bands, and their impact remains as strong today as it was in the early ‘70s.
Adding to the night’s historic nature, Back to the Beginning will feature an all-star lineup, including performances from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, and Mastodon.
The event will also include a supergroup featuring some of rock and metal’s biggest names, such as 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 are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Music director Tom Morello summed up the event’s magnitude, calling it “the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
Those eager to witness this historic farewell can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. GMT on Friday, February 14, 2025, at LiveNation.co.uk. More than just a celebration of metal’s rich history, the event will also serve a noble cause — all profits will be split between Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice, a charity supported by Aston Villa.
