Ozzy Osbourne’s Last Ride: Rock Legend Announces Final Show With Black Sabbath Amid Health Battles
The Prince of Darkness is taking his final bow. Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, has announced one last performance with his iconic band—marking the first time in 20 years that the original lineup will reunite.
The historic farewell will take place on July 5 at Villa Park in England as part of the “Back to the Beginning” charity concert. Tickets go on sale on February 14 via LiveNation.
“The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see @OzzyOsbourne play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow,” read the official announcement on Osbourne’s X account.
The 76-year-old shared his excitement in a heartfelt statement: “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.”
Alongside Osbourne, Black Sabbath’s legendary lineup—Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler—will reunite for the farewell performance. The concert’s star-studded roster includes Metallica, Lamb of God, Slayer, Anthrax, and Alice in Chains, making it a dream event for metal fans worldwide.
Rage Against the Machine guitarist, Tom Morello, is the concert’s music director. Morello hyped up the show in a statement, “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
Osbourne’s wife and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, also expressed how much this event means to him. Speaking with BBC News, she said, “He’s doing really great. He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone.”
She added, “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.”
Osbourne, who co-founded Black Sabbath in Birmingham in 1968, helped shape the sound of heavy metal as we know it. The band’s last performance was at the 2005 Ozzfest Tour. Their final studio album was released in 2013, cementing their legendary status.
Ozzy’s decision to perform comes despite his ongoing health struggles. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, suffered a major fall in 2019 that required multiple surgeries, and most recently underwent spinal surgery in September 2023. Last year, he admitted that a back operation left him “practically crippled” and that a follow-up surgery “went drastically wrong.”
Despite these hardships, the rock icon remains determined to give his fans one last unforgettable performance. With an epic lineup and a historic reunion, Ozzy Osbourne’s final show is set to be the ultimate farewell for the metal legend.
