The historic event will bring together the band’s original lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—for the first time in two decades.
The one-day festival will celebrate the band’s unparalleled legacy, featuring a stellar lineup of artists they have influenced over the years, including Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Gojira, and Anthrax. Also set to take the stage are Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, and Mastodon.
Despite stepping away from touring due to health concerns—including a Parkinson’s diagnosis and spinal injuries—Osbourne will perform a short solo set before joining Black Sabbath for their final curtain call. His return to the stage was announced at Villa Park by his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, alongside Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who has been appointed as the event’s musical director, declared the concert would be “the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
Adding to the spectacle, a special “supergroup” featuring Billy Corgan, Slash, Fred Durst, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Morello himself will perform, with rumors suggesting some guest musicians may step in for Osbourne during Sabbath’s set.
The concert aims to raise funds for Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice, a charity supported by Aston Villa Football Club.
Black Sabbath, who formed in Birmingham in 1968, last performed together in 2017 for their farewell show at the city’s NEC Arena, playing to a sold-out crowd of 16,000. Their setlist paid tribute to their early years with classics like “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” and “Black Sabbath,” before closing with their defining anthem, “Paranoid.”
The NEC performance concluded an 81-date world tour, with Osbourne delivering an emotional farewell to fans: “I’ve got to tell you something, what a journey we’ve all had. We started this in 1968, and now it’s 2017—I don’t believe it, 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.”
Since then, Osbourne has released two solo albums—Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9—but a severe spinal injury in 2019, stemming from an ATV accident, required multiple surgeries and forced him to step back from touring. That same year, he publicly revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis, with his last major live appearance taking place at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Despite his health struggles, Osbourne recently told Rolling Stone UK of his unwavering desire 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.”
Uncompromising as ever, 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.”
Now, with this once-in-a-lifetime concert, the Prince of Darkness and his Black Sabbath bandmates are poised to give fans the ultimate farewell—one that will echo through the annals of heavy metal history.
Tickets for the event go on sale at 10am Birmingham time on Friday, February 14 at LiveNation.co.uk. All profits will go to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice, a charity supported by Aston Villa.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2025