Excited Black Sabbath fans crammed into Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon as anticipation rose for Ozzy Osbourne‘s final ever show.
The rocker, 76, is taking to the stage around 8.30pm for his last live performance alongside his bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a rare reunion in their original line-up.
Their final showdown comes amid concerns for Ozzy’s health after he has undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023.
Ozzy, who has also been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2003, plans to keep recording music but is saying farewell to live music in what is sure to be an emotional night.
And the anticipation was palpable in Ozzy’s hometown just hours before his epic show as a string of legendary rock bands took to the stage for the Back to The Beginning concert with the 42,000-seater venue packed full.
Anthrax, Guns N’ Roses and Metallica are all slated to perform during the rocking spectacular, while there were also surprise video messages from the likes of Dolly Parton and Jack Black.
Excited Black Sabbath fans crammed into Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon as anticipation rose for Ozzy Osbourne’s final ever show
The rocker, 76, (pictured in 2022) is set to take to stage around 8.30pm for his last live performance alongside his bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward
The anticipation was palpable in Ozzy’s hometown just hours before his epic show as a string of legendary rock bands took to the stage for the Back to The Beginning concert
Since their last gig together in 2005, Black Sabbath has played in partial reunions but never in their original line-up, so Saturday’s occasion is momentous for heavy metal fans around the globe.
However, there was one controversial moment during the concert as Marilyn Manson featured in a video message paying tribute to Ozzy.
In the pre-recorded message, Manson, 56, gushed: ‘It is a great honour to be here in this video and I’d like to say congratulations and I love you very much Ozzy,’ according to footage shared online.
However, his inclusion left some fans unimpressed after his upcoming gig at Brighton Centre in October was cancelled after pressure from campaigners.
Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, was accused by a dozen women of sex abuse, rape, and torture. He has vehemently denied all the allegations.
In January, US prosecutors announced that they would not be pursuing charges against Marilyn following a four-year investigation due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Despite this, some fans were still unimpressed by Manson’s video message airing at Villa Park and took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their fury.
Manson has previously described Ozzy and Black Sabbath as his biggest inspiration and they have performed together during various tours over the years.
Since their last gig together in 2005 (pictured), Black Sabbath has played in partial reunions but never in their original line-up , so Saturday’s occasion is momentous for heavy metal fans
Huge crowds were seen packing into Villa Park for the Back to the Beginning show – taking place in Ozzy’s hometown
Anthrax helped kick off the rocking action on Saturday afternoon with frontman Scott Ian bringing the house down
Fans looked delighted as they eagerly waited up front for their chance to watch Black Sabbath one last time
However, there was one divisive moment during the concert as Marilyn Manson (pictured) featured in a video paying tribute to Ozzy after being marred in controversy
Over five decades since originally forming under the name ‘Earth’ before bassist Geezer drew inspiration from the Boris Karloff horror film Black Sabbath, they have certainly proved their fans are as steadfast as ever.
Their appeal was such that even those without tickets came just to soak up the atmosphere and listen to bands playing covers of Sabbath songs throughout the day.
Debra Miller, 58, originally from Indiana but now living in Leeds, said: ‘I tried so hard to get tickets but in the end I gave up but decided to come down just to soak it up.
‘They did it first and their songs still hold up. Stuff like War Pigs and Iron Man are as relevant today as they have ever been.’
Lucy Seager, 46, a full-time mum from Birmingham, said: ‘I don’t have a ticket but you can still hear from here.
‘Just look at all the people these guys have inspired. They have done absolutely amazing.’
Speaking at the epic gig, one diehard fan also described them as the ‘Beatles of Birmingham’.
Nick, 61, a Villa season ticket holder, said: ‘They were all born within a one-mile radius of this place so it’s a fitting finale.
‘We don’t appreciate them enough. They invented the biggest musical genre in the history of the human race.
‘They would be far too humble to say it themselves, but they are the Beatles of Birmingham and they are only now being acknowledged.’
His friend Jim, 69, added: ‘They are the most unassuming multi-millionaires you could ever meet.’
One group of six fans had flown in from Warsaw for the occasion and Matthew Iyer had come from Dubai.
Ozzy famously worked in a slaughterhouse before becoming an international megastar and guitarist Tony Iommi, the band’s constant presence, lost the tips of two fingers on his last day as a sheet metal worker.
‘My Mum and Dad would play them all the time when we went on caravan holidays,’ added Lucy. ‘They mean a lot to me.’
Tattoo artist Nansi Nansi, 41, from North Wales, paid £270 for her ticket.
Yungblud, whose full name is Dominic Harrison, was seen on stage rehearsing ahead of the momentous night
Tom Morello and Nuno Bettencourt also were busy rehearsing the night before the action kicked off
Music fans Hakan Svanberg, from Sweden, (left) and Rita Haney, AKA ‘dimebagzhag’, (right) got in the Black Sabbath spirit
Fans travelled from all over the globe for the gig including Zak Warman (L) and Kristen Chilcoat (R), who came from Detroit
Technicians were seen setting up Ozzy’s set-up on the eve of the historic concert
Marking the occasion, West Midlands Police even paid tribute to Black Sabbath by naming a litter of puppies in their honour
She said: ‘It will be amazing to see them all together. My Mum got me into them when I was 18. They make me feel young.’
Michael Bernhardt, 55, a German engineer from Swindon, said: ‘I paid £420 for a golden circle ticket to be close to the stage. Black Sabbath have always been part of my life.
‘War Pigs is the greatest anti-war song of them all. They never disappoint.’
Martin and Clare from Tiverton had paid £750 each for their VIP tickets.
‘We are here to celebrate being alive,’ said Martin, 54. ‘We don’t do holidays. We do concerts.’
Clare, 51, added: ‘This is the first time I will have seen the original line up altogether. It’s a very special occasion. What they have inspired is incredible.’
And Jamie Wyton, 43, who works for Birmingham children’s charity Acorns, said: ‘I wouldn’t miss this for anything. This city is only beginning to appreciate their legacy and honour them as they should be honoured.
‘This city gave birth to Heavy Metal and we should shout about that more.’
In 2017, Black Sabbath played their ‘final concert’ but it was without drummer Bill Ward, and fans were delighted of the news of their unexpected return to stage for one last gig.
Ahead of his final performance, Ozzy (pictured in 2016) emotionally discussed what the milestone occasion means to him, gushing: ‘It’s my final encore’
Ozzy grew up in Aston, Birmingham, and Black Sabbath – though they were known as Earth at the time – had their first ever gig at The Crown pub in Birmingham in 1968
Ahead of his final performance, Ozzy emotionally discussed what the milestone occasion means to him.
‘It’s my final encore; it’s my chance to say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me,’ he shared.
‘It means everything, I am forever in their debt for showing up for me and the fans. I can’t quite put it into words, but I feel very emotional and blessed.’
‘It’s a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out,’ he added.
Ozzy said he wants his fans to ‘feel appreciated for how much they mean to me’ and discussed why the band decided to host their final ever show in Birmingham.
Ozzy grew up in Aston, Birmingham, and Black Sabbath – though they were known as Earth at the time – had their first ever gig at The Crown pub in Birmingham in 1968.
Aptly titled Back To The Beginning, the concert has seen Ozzy and his bandmates Tony, Geezer and Bill go back to their roots for their big reunion.
Of the poignant moment, Ozzy gushed: ‘I couldn’t have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning.’
He went on: ‘My memories of Villa Park when I was growing up were: Every Saturday when there was a match, I would go out with my friends and stand outside the Villa asking people for a shilling to watch their car.’
The concert is being streamed two hours after the in-arena start time, kicking off at 3pm BST, giving Black Sabbath fans around the globe a chance to watch.
However, Ozzy said they never actually planned to stream the show but decided to include it as an extra addition due to the overwhelming demand for tickets.
‘We never meant to have a livestream; it wasn’t in our plan,’ he shared.
‘I was just surprised how many people we were contacted by to do one, and so it seemed a great chance for people who didn’t have the opportunity to get a ticket to be able to see the show.’
Amid his ailing health, Ozzy recently admitted he was unsure whether to perform standing up or sitting down following a series of spinal operations.
The singer was in strict training before the show, which even saw his blood pressure being taken 15 times a day.
He explained: ‘I have got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal. It’s hard going, but he’s convinced that he can pull it off for me. I’m giving it everything I’ve got.
‘It’s endurance. The first thing that goes when you’re laid up is your stamina.
‘I am having my blood pressure taken 15 times a day.. I’ve got this f***ing device on my finger. It’s a monitor to say how my heart rate is.’
Ozzy vowed to do the ‘best he can’ during the final show after his string of health concerns in recent years.
Ozzy (pictured in 2024) has undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in September 2023, and has been battling Parkinson’s disease
Though he is stepping back from the stage, Ozzy will keep recording music after his goodbye gig.
He told Metal Hammer magazine: ‘I still enjoy doing my own work, I also enjoy singing on other people’s work.
‘For the foreseeable future, I will keep on recording if the projects interest me, it’s very important.’
Ozzy’s last solo album, 2022’s Patient Number 9, featured a long list of guest artists, including hid Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, among others.
Black Sabbath pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man.
