Black Sabbath are officially closing the book on heavy metal’s most influential chapter.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward are reuniting for one final show on July 5 at Birmingham’s Villa Park. No comebacks. No encores. This is the last Sabbath gig ever.
Dubbed Back to the Beginning, the one-day festival isn’t just a farewell—it’s a full-blown metal pilgrimage. The lineup reads like the ultimate headbanger’s fantasy: Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Gojira, Anthrax, Alice In Chains, Lamb of God, Mastodon, and more. If that’s not enough, there’s a supergroup stacked with icons like Billy Corgan, Slash, Fred Durst, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Tom Morello, who’s also serving as the show’s musical director. Expect Sabbath tracks, Ozzy solo bangers, and chaotic collabs that’ll probably melt faces and minds in equal measure.
For Ozzy, this is truly his final bow. After years battling Parkinson’s and spinal injuries, the Prince of Darkness is determined to go out on his own terms. Sharon Osbourne confirmed it’s a done deal: “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.”
But don’t expect a frail, sympathy-fishing version of Ozzy. He’s not rolling onto the stage in a wheelchair or phoning it in. There’ll be a short solo set before he joins his Sabbath brothers one last time, and you can bet he’ll squeeze every drop of life out of it.
It’s fitting that Sabbath’s final show is in Birmingham, the city where it all began back in 1968. They had their first rehearsal just a stone’s throw from Villa Park, unknowingly kickstarting a genre that would echo through generations. Their last so-called “farewell” was in 2017, but this one feels different. Permanent.
Proceeds from the gig will go to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. So, not only will fans witness metal history—they’ll be part of something bigger.
Ozzy once said, “I’m not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy.” And he won’t. This isn’t just a goodbye. It’s the final roar from the godfathers of metal, and it’s going to be loud.
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