The original lineup of Black Sabbath — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — will play its final concert in July.
Dubbed Back To The Beginning, the charity show will be held at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom on July 5th, with tickets on sale from 10 a.m. on February 14th. Show openers include Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and many more.
Rounding out the event will be an all-star group featuring Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins),Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine),Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jonathan Davis (Korn),Wolfgang Van Halen and many others. Morello will also serve as the musical director for the event.
Morello promises, “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
See the full list of performers in the poster below.
All proceeds from the show will go to Birmingham charities Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
Osbourne comments, “It’s my time to go Back To The Beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
Metallica says, “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 5th 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 February 14th, 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, Halestrom, Lamb Of God, Mastadon, 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 (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands, Red Dragon Cartel), Jonathan Davis (Korn),K.K. Downing (Judas Priest, KK’S Priest), Lzzy Hale (Halestrom),Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake), 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.”
A year ago, Sharon said that Ozzy was hoping to play a farewell concert at Birmingham’s Villa Park as a “goodbye” to fans.
Black Sabbath is considered a pioneer of heavy metal and was formed in 1968 in Aston, Birmingham.
The band has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, awarded a Lifetime Ivor Novello Songwriting Award in 2015 and were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
The band has a star on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, alongside individual stars in their own right, together with a bench in their honor.
In February 2017, SABBATH finished The End tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet’s groundbreaking 49-year career.
13 was the band’s first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.
14 Responses
I hope they film this entire event.
I think it’s great that the four original members are taking the stage one final time in front of their hometown audience; they’re celebrating with other artists they influenced; and they’re doing it for charity…BUT….Given that Ozzy is dealing with Parkinson’s and a back issue and he wasn’t able to take the stage for his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, I have to wonder how he’s going to perform a “short set” of solo material and then do (what I’m assuming will be) a full Black Sabbath set. Will he be doing this sitting down for the sets? And, at the risk of everyone’s head exploding, will he be able to deliver totally live vocals, or will he….you know…?…
I thought the exact same thing, how will Ozzy be able to handle both sets? Hopefully, he will manage, and I am so happy for Bill Ward, such an underrated drummer.
Why no Megadeth? The other three of the big four are playing. I expect this to be a shit show. Ozzy will probably be in a wheelchair. We saw Ozzy in 2018 in Cleveland and his voice was bad. Can Bill Ward even play or will there be three other drummers playing along with him to cover up?
I sure hope I’m wrong and pray that for just one night they can somehow bring the magic back one last time.
RTunes, all great points. Given Ozzy’s health, I hope he can deliver a great, real live rock and roll show.
I guess Bill Ward was finally presented with a “signable contract”?
just checked roundtrip airfare from LAX to Birmingham…..$ 2600….ouch…..maybe I can ride in Eddies suitcase?
Keep Tom Morello away from these events!! He’s nothing but toxic poison! Alice In Chains is the stand out for me, along with the Sabbath reunion of course!