Ozzy Osbourne, the godfather of heavy metal, took the stage at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025, for his final ever performance. The sold-out “Back to the Beginning” concert, headlined by a reunited Black Sabbath with original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, was a fitting farewell for the rock icon in his hometown of Aston. Despite his frail physical condition, Osbourne’s voice soared with unrelenting power, and the electric atmosphere left the crowd chanting, emotional, and united in celebrating a legend.
As air raid sirens blared and Villa Park was bathed in red light, the 42,000-strong audience erupted, every arm raised in tribute. “Ozzy! Ozzy!” chants echoed through the stadium, a stone’s throw from where Osbourne grew up and formed Black Sabbath in 1968. The energy was palpable, with fans from across the globe making the pilgrimage to witness the heavy metal pioneer’s final bow. “This is a concert anyone lucky enough to be here will never, ever forget,” a BBC reporter noted on the scene.
A Voice That Defies Time
At 76, Osbourne’s body bears the weight of decades of rock ‘n’ roll excess, a 2020 Parkinson’s diagnosis, and spinal surgeries following a 2019 fall. Seated on a black throne adorned with skulls and a jeweled bat, he commanded the stage with a presence that belied his physical challenges. “He’s got the long black hair, thick black eye makeup, and he’s staring at the crowd like a man incensed,” one observer described. “He’s wearing a velvet suit with a golden armband saying ‘Ozzy’ on it, looking like he’s having the time of his life.”
Osbourne’s voice, remarkably, showed no signs of frailty. Opening his solo set with “I Don’t Know” and powering through hits like “Mr. Crowley,” “Suicide Solution,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” and “Crazy Train,” he delivered each note with the piercing clarity that defined Black Sabbath’s early albums. “Ozzy sounds more accomplished on ‘Iron Man’ than he did on ‘War Pigs,’ that piercing purity now shining out of his voice,” The Guardian reported. The crowd sang every word, buoying him up as he grinned and waved, visibly moved by their adulation.
An Emotional Homecoming
The “Back to the Beginning” concert, a charity event supporting Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice, was more than a gig—it was a full-circle moment. Osbourne, who grew up charging match-goers to “mind” their cars outside Villa Park, returned as a hometown hero. “It’s my time to go back to the beginning, to give back to the place where I was born,” he said before the show. “Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever.”
The emotional weight of the night was undeniable. “I’ve been laid up for six years, and you’ve got no idea how I feel,” Osbourne told the crowd, his voice cracking with gratitude. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Fans shared his sentiment, with many in tears as they witnessed the original Black Sabbath lineup reunite for the first time since 2005. “For many Sabbath fans, this is the moment they’ve waited all their life for,” a BBC correspondent noted. “To see Sabbath back home in Aston where it all began.”
An Electric Atmosphere with Metal Royalty
The all-day event was a who’s who of heavy metal, with supporting acts like Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, and Anthrax, curated by musical director Tom Morello. A supergroup featuring Billy Corgan, Slash, Fred Durst, and others performed Sabbath and Osbourne classics, adding to the historic vibe. “It’s a fast-spinning Lazy Susan of metal history,” The Independent quipped, noting the seamless collaboration among the acts.
The crowd’s energy was relentless, with confetti cannons, fireworks, and claret-and-blue beach balls (a nod to Aston Villa fan Geezer Butler) bouncing through the stands. When Black Sabbath took the stage, opening with “War Pigs” and closing with “Paranoid,” the stadium shook. “Every single arm is in the air,” The Guardian reported. “The crowd are singing, shouting, screaming every word.” Bill Ward, drumming topless with ferocious energy, and Tony Iommi’s thunderous riffs amplified the raw power of the moment.
A Legacy Cemented
The concert, livestreamed globally via pay-per-view, was a celebration of Black Sabbath’s legacy as the creators of heavy metal. Formed in 1968, their pounding rhythms and dark imagery shaped a genre, with albums like Paranoid and Master of Reality selling over 75 million copies worldwide. Osbourne’s larger-than-life persona—marked by infamous antics like biting the heads off a bat and doves—made him the archetype of the wild rock star. Yet, as fans noted, “Ozzy’s like a madman on stage, but really he’s just a normal bloke.”
Sharon Osbourne, who announced the event with Tony Iommi, called it her husband’s “full stop.” “Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans,” she told BBC News. “The crowd are going to carry him, they’re going to sing with him, and it’s just going to be a great celebration.” A tribute to Aston Villa’s Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash days before, added a somber note, with his image displayed on the big screen as Osbourne left the stage.
