Metallica closed the curtain on its record-breaking M72 World Tour with an emotional tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, marking exactly one year since Black Sabbath’s unforgettable Back to the Beginning farewell concert.
Performing before 80,000 fans at London’s Stadium, Metallica wrapped up a three year global trek, but it was a heartfelt nod to the Prince of Darkness that became one of the night’s defining moments.
The date wasn’t lost on either the band or the audience.
On July 6, 2025, Metallica joined an all star lineup in Birmingham to celebrate Black Sabbath’s final performance together, the historic Back to the Beginning concert reunited Ozzy Osbourne with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for one last performance in the city where heavy metal was born.
Just 17 days later, Ozzy passed away on July 22, 2025, aged 76, making that farewell show an even more poignant chapter in rock history (per Metal Addicts).
“Ozzy We Love You And We Miss You”
During Metallica’s long running live “doodle” segment, bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett delivered a tribute fitting for the occasion, the pair blended Black Sabbath’s Electric Funeral with the Sex Pistols’ Holidays In The Sun, before Trujillo paused to acknowledge the significance of the anniversary.
“A year ago today, there was a very important event. ‘Back to the Beginning’, BLACK SABBATH and so many other incredible people.”
Holding up a fan made sign that had just been handed to him from the crowd, Trujillo continued:
“Somebody just gave me this right now, and it’s pretty powerful. It says ‘Do it for Ozzy’… Ozzy we love you and we miss you brother.”
The touching moment drew a huge response from the London crowd, many of whom had also followed Black Sabbath’s emotional farewell just twelve months earlier.
The End Of The M72 Era
The London performance also marked the final stop of Metallica’s hugely successful M72 World Tour, which has spent the past three years circling the globe with its in the round stage production and “No Repeat Weekend” format.
The band’s Australian leg late last year remains one of the biggest rock tours to hit the country in recent years, with Evanescence joining Metallica for stadium shows before launching their own headline dates.
With the M72 era now complete, Metallica closed this chapter the same way it began, celebrating the artists who helped build heavy metal.
One year on from Back to the Beginning, Ozzy Osbourne’s influence continues to echo through every generation of heavy music, and Metallica’s tribute served as another reminder that while the Prince of Darkness may be gone, his legacy is anything but forgotten.
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