Black Sabbath reunite for Ozzy Osbourne's final concert at Villa Park
The all-day concert features an astonishing line-up
Last updated 6th Feb 2025
Black Sabbath’s original line-up have reunited for Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham this summer.
The all-day ‘Back to the Beginning’ concert takes place at Aston Villa’s stadium on Saturday 5th July 2025, and it will feature Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward’s first performance together in 20 years, a short Ozzy solo set and a stellar line-up of musicians they influenced.
Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill formed Black Sabbath just a stone’s throw away from Villa Park in 1968, and as heavy metal torchbearers, they went on to change the face of music forever.
The reunion was announced by Ozzy’s wife Sharon Osbourne and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi at a press conference at Villa Park this lunchtime (Wednesday 5th February).
Commenting on his final show, Ozzy Osbourne said: “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.”
Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning concert line-up:
Joining Black Sabbath and Ozzy at the concert and playing sets throughout the day will be an array of rock legends, including thrash metal titans Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax.
There will also be sets from Pantera, Halestorm, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God and Mastodon, and a supergroup of other musicians.
Supergroup artists announced so far include Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan & Slash (Guns ‘n Roses), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing (Judas Priest), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar (Van Halen), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Wolfgang Van Halen and Zakk Wylde.
Astonishingly more names will be confirmed in the coming weeks and months.
The concert’s musical director Tom Morello said: “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
Black Sabbath tickets:
Tickets to Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning concert go on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets at 10am on Friday 14th February 2025.
All profits 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.
Black Sabbath last performed live at Birmingham Genting Arena on 4th February 2017 at the culmination of The End tour.
They haven’t performed a full show with Bill Ward since Ozzfest at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida in September 2005.
Bill was part of the Black Sabbath’s original line-up reunion in 2011, but he dropped out the following year due to a bitter contract dispute.
Tommy Clufetos performed with Sabbath on both the Black Sabbath Reunion Tour and the swansong The End Tour.
During an episode of his YouTube series The Madhouse Chronicles with his friend Billy Morrison in May 2024, Ozzy Osbourne said Black Sabbath was “unfinished” as Bill Ward didn’t play the final show in Birmingham.
“I was sad that Bill wasn’t there. I mean Tommy Clufetos, my drummer, did a great job. But he ain’t Bill Ward,” Ozzy said.
“It wasn’t Black Sabbath that finished it. It’s unfinished. If they wanted to do one more gig with Bill, I would jump at the chance.”
In the following weeks, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi both said they would be up for playing a final Sabbath show if Ozzy’s health allows, and in July 2024, Bill Ward threw his hat into the ring.
“I’m in for playing some of everyone’s old favourites. Loved playing them then, I’d love to play them one last time,” Bill wrote on social media.
“I’m not going to talk about my health publicly except to say, everyday I’m pretty good for 76 years old, I’m active musically every day, and I have a very busy and gratifying life.”
Sharon Osbourne first revealed during her spoken word show Cut The Crap in January 2024 that Ozzy is planning a farewell concert at Villa Park as a “goodbye” to fans.
"Ozzy feels very much like he's not said goodbye to his fans,” Sharon said on stage at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre.
"So he's going to be coming to do a show at Aston Villa. But he's going to have his mates with him, all his great mates that he's toured with for years, so he'll have many friends with him and it's going to be a celebration."
Last month, Aston Villa teased the concert by unfurling a huge Tifo display banner of Ozzy Osbourne ahead of their UEFA Champion’s League match against Celtic.
The real names of famous rock stars, including Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.