Ozzy Osbourne bids farewell with final live performance
In a poignant and historic event, heavy metal legends Black Sabbath performed their final concert on July 5, 2025, at the Villa Park stadium in their hometown of Birmingham. The "Back To The Beginning" concert was a fitting farewell to over five decades of groundbreaking music, marking the end of an era in heavy metal history.
Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, known for his eccentric stage antics and iconic voice, addressed the crowd from a black throne due to his Parkinson's disease. Despite the challenges, Ozzy delivered a powerful performance, accompanied by his original Black Sabbath bandmates - Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward.
The setlist was a retrospective of Black Sabbath's classic early material, opening with the title track from their debut album and closing with the timeless "Paranoid". The band played fan favourites such as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", and "Children of the Grave", as well as lesser-known tracks like "Into the Void" and "After Forever".
The concert was not just a celebration of Black Sabbath but also a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne's illustrious career. Besides the band's performances, various bands covered Sabbath songs, with Metallica performing "Sabotage", Halestorm covering "Perry Mason", and Alice in Chains tackling "Fairies Wear Boots". Gojira, Anthrax, Rival Sons, Lamb of God, Mastodon, and others also performed both Sabbath and Ozzy songs.
There were also special supergroup performances featuring celebrated artists such as Lzzy Hale, Mike Bordin, David Draiman, and Billy Corgan, who covered songs including "The Ultimate Sin", "Shot in the Dark", "Sweet Leaf", and "Changes".
The concert, which lasted over 10 hours, also featured performances from Metallica, Slayer, Tool, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N'Roses, Korn's Jonathan Davis, Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), and other artists.
All profits from the concert will be donated to three organisations: the Cure Parkinson's foundation, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and the Acorn Children's Hospice.
Ozzy Osbourne's career has been marked by numerous milestones. Born on 3 December 1948 in Birmingham, he spent his youth in trouble, expelled from school at 15 and working various jobs before finding success as a musician. In 1977, he left Black Sabbath due to alcohol and drug problems, but he later returned to the music scene with a newfound determination.
In 2013, Black Sabbath released their 19th and final studio album, "13". Ozzy has also ventured into voice acting, appearing in children's cartoons such as Bubble Guppies, and has won numerous awards, including Classic Rock Magazine's "Living Legend" award in 2008 and Kerrang! Magazine's "Legend" award in 2011.
In 2020, Ozzy revealed he was suffering from one of the forms of Parkinson's disease, and his farewell tour was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Despite these challenges, the "Back To The Beginning" concert was a testament to Ozzy's resilience and the enduring power of Black Sabbath's music.
[1] The setlist closely follows their last known setlist from 2017, performed in the same city, which is believed to have been reprised or referenced at the farewell show. [2] Lzzy Hale, Mike Bordin, David Draiman, and Billy Corgan covered "The Ultimate Sin", "Shot in the Dark", "Sweet Leaf", and "Changes". [3] The exact setlist for the special supergroup performances is not specified in the provided information.
Entertainment transcended genres at the "Back To The Beginning" concert, where pop-culture icons paid homage to Black Sabbath's music. Various artists like Metallica, Halestorm, and Alice in Chains performed Sabbath covers, while members of Gojira, Anthrax, Rival Sons, Lamb of God, Mastodon, and others played both Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne songs. Furthermore, Lzzy Hale, Mike Bordin, David Draiman, and Billy Corgan covered popular Black Sabbath songs like "The Ultimate Sin", "Shot in the Dark", "Sweet Leaf", and "Changes".
