Ozzy Osbourne performed what he says is his final live show on Saturday, delivering a powerful farewell before 40,000 fans in Birmingham, England. The 76-year-old heavy metal icon, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and recovering from years of health struggles, took the stage for one last time in the city where it all began.
Osbourne opened the show seated on a rising black throne, declaring, “Let the madness begin!” before launching into a solo set. The night reached its peak when he was joined onstage by original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—the first reunion of the classic lineup in two decades. Together, they closed their short set with the metal anthem “Paranoid.”
The performance capped a full-day metal festival at Villa Park, Birmingham’s historic soccer stadium. The event featured bands like Anthrax, Metallica, and Guns N’ Roses. Music legends such as Elton John, Dolly Parton, and Jack Black sent tributes to Osbourne, praising his influence across generations and genres. Elton John called him “one of the most remarkable singers of our time.”
Osbourne, visibly emotional, thanked fans for their decades of support. “You have no idea how I feel,” he told the crowd. “You’re all special.”
Ozzy Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a city deeply tied to Britain’s industrial and musical history. The band’s dark aesthetic and heavy sound pioneered the metal genre and earned them induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Osbourne later launched a successful solo career and gained new popularity in the early 2000s through MTV’s “The Osbournes.”
His final bow follows years of health complications, including a serious quad bike accident in 2003, a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020, and multiple surgeries. Touring ended in 2023, but Saturday’s performance offered a fitting, triumphant farewell to a career that spanned six decades.
