Fans across the globe will have a front-row seat to a pivotal moment in music history, as Ozzy Osbourne’s final-ever live performance, titled “Back To The Beginning,” will be broadcast via a global livestream on July 5. The historic event, taking place at Villa Park in Osbourne‘s hometown of Birmingham, will feature the reunion of the original Black Sabbath lineup—Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward—for their last performance together.
Tickets for the global livestream go on sale today, Friday, June 6, at 3:00 PM. Visit www.backtothebeginning.com for more details.
The farewell concert sold out in under 16 minutes, prompting the decision to make the show accessible worldwide. Ozzy’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, explained the move. “We had such an overwhelming demand from fans from around the globe, who couldn’t get tickets to the show, and they took to social media, pleading with us to broadcast a livestream of the show,” she said. “Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”
Billed as a “global celebration of metal,” the event will feature appearances from a staggering lineup of rock and metal royalty, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Gojira, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, and Mastodon.
The night will also include a performance by a “supergroup of musicians” featuring Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, K.K. Downing of Judas Priest, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee, Wolfgang Van Halen of Van Halen and Mammoth WVH, and Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine.
Ozzy Osbourne is scheduled to play a short solo set before joining his Black Sabbath bandmates for their final performance.
The livestream will be produced by Mercury Studios in partnership with streaming company Kiswe. Viewers will have access to the raw livestream on July 5 and will be able to rewatch the concert in its entirety for 48 hours afterward. Proceeds from the “Back To The Beginning” show will support several charities, including Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
