Black Sabbath is reuniting one last time for a special farewell show. The concert is called ‘Back to the Beginning,’ and it will take place on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. This will be the band’s first show in eight years and the final live performance for both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne.
Here’s everything we know about this historic event.
The Last Black Sabbath Show Ever
‘Back to the Beginning’ is being promoted as Black Sabbath’s official farewell. The original lineup —Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward— will perform together for the first time since 2005. This marks a full-circle moment for the band, as they originally formed in Birmingham back in 1968.
Ozzy Osbourne has also confirmed that this will be his last-ever live performance both with Sabbath and as a solo artist. However, he will not perform a full set with the band. Instead, he will join them for ‘bits and pieces’ onstage.
The concert will take place at Villa Park, the stadium of Aston Villa FC, which is the favorite football team of some band members.
Who’s Performing?
Alongside Black Sabbath, the lineup includes some of the biggest names in metal and rock. These artists will either perform their own sets or take part in special collaborations throughout the event.
Main Bands Performing Full Sets:
- Metallica
- Guns N’ Roses
- Tool
- Slayer
- Pantera
- Gojira
- Alice in Chains
- Halestorm
- Lamb of God
- Anthrax
- Mastodon
- Rival Sons
Guest Appearances & Special Collaborations:
Several well-known musicians will also be part of the show and play alongside different bands or form one-time supergroups. Some of the confirmed names include:
- Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
- Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) – Musical Director of the Event
- David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth)
- Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit)
- Jonathan Davis (Korn)
- Wolfgang Van Halen
- K.K. Downing (ex-Judas Priest)
- Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin, and Rudy Sarzo (former Ozzy Osbourne band members)
- David Draiman (Disturbed)
- Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
- Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
- Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe)
- Papa V Perpetua
- Sleep Token ii
Actor Jason Momoa (‘Aquaman,’ ‘Game of Thrones’) will host the event.
How the Show Will Work
The show will feature unique collaborations between artists instead of a regular festival lineup. Sharon Osbourne explained that musicians will join each other onstage to play Black Sabbath songs as well as their own tracks.
Some confirmed performances include:
- Tom Morello playing with Tool’s drummer Danny Carey.
- Billy Corgan, Slash, and Duff McKagan teaming up for a special set.
- David Draiman, Jonathan Davis, and Chad Smith performing together.
- Alice in Chains playing as a full band.
The event will start at 12 noon and last until late at night. The final performances of the night will be Ozzy Osbourne and the full original lineup of Black Sabbath.
Charity and Ticket Sales
All proceeds from ‘Back to the Beginning’ will go to three charities:
- Cure Parkinson’s
- Birmingham Children’s Hospital
- Acorns Children’s Hospice
Tickets went on sale on February 14, 2025, and sold out in under 10 minutes. Reports say that the online queue had over 60,000 people waiting to buy tickets. Prices originally ranged from £197.50 to £834, but some fans paid over £6,000 on resale sites.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Health and Retirement
Ozzy Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019 and has had multiple surgeries in recent years. His last full live performance was on December 31, 2018, during his ‘No More Tours’ tour.
Because of his health, Ozzy announced his retirement from touring in 2023. He said his body is too weak for full-length performances, even though his singing voice is still strong.
He still wanted one last chance to say goodbye to fans, though. Sharon Osbourne said this concert will be his “full stop” to give him the send-off he never got before.
The End of an Era
‘Back to the Beginning’ is shaping up to be one of the biggest metal events in history. With a lineup full of legends, surprise collaborations, and the final performance of one of metal’s most important bands, this concert will mark the official end of Black Sabbath.
For those lucky enough to have tickets, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For everyone else, the event is expected to be recorded and possibly released in the future.
This is the final chapter for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, and after July 5, the band that started it all will take its final bow.
