The original lineup of Black Sabbath, featuring its four founding members, reunited for the first time in 20 years on Saturday (05.07.2025) in the United Kingdom — and for the last time, as the performance was also considered the farewell concert of the band’s iconic vocalist. The legendary Black Sabbath concert at Birmingham’s Villa Park stadium peaked with four of their greatest hits, while earlier in the evening, Ozzy Osbourne performed a five-song solo set.
Metal and hard-rock bands inspired by Sabbath took to the stage, performing covers and original material. ‘It’s so great to be on this f***ing stage — you’ve got no idea,’ said Osbourne to the crowd of 42,000 as his winged throne rose beneath him for the first time. ‘Let the madness begin!’
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi had previously stated that the band would only perform four songs due to collective endurance issues. Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Tony Iommi delivered unforgettable renditions of ‘War Pigs’, ‘NIB’, ‘Iron Man’, and ‘Paranoid’ to close the 10-hour musical celebration at the stadium.
Earlier during his solo performance, Osbourne was backed by a band including his longtime guitarist, Zakk Wylde, who performed ‘I Don’t Know’, ‘Mr. Crowley’, ‘Suicide Solution’, ‘Mama I’m Coming Home’, and ‘Crazy Train’.
The 76-year-old Ozzy Osbourne, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, sang seated on a black throne wearing a leather coat and a golden bracelet bearing his name. Before performing ‘Mama’, he told the audience that he had been ‘ill for six years’ and added: ‘Thank you from the depths of my heart.’
Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons, and Mastodon all took the stage, performing between two to seven songs, one of which was at least a cover of a Sabbath or Osbourne classic.
Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose led the way with four Sabbath covers and two original tracks. Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler also joined in on the celebrations.
Fans from around the world who managed to secure tickets witnessed the historic ‘Back to the Beginning’ concert at Aston Villa Football Club’s ground, just a stone’s throw away from where Ozzy Osbourne grew up.
Black Sabbath released their debut album in 1970, widely regarded as the birth of heavy metal, before Ozzy left for a solo career in 1979. As Sammy Hagar, former lead singer of Van Halen, stated backstage for BBC News: ‘Black Sabbath really started this whole era — the metal era. Everyone sees them like kings, and if the kings are leaving, we’re going to come out and honor them.’
James Hetfield of Metallica told the crowd, ‘Without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica. Thank you for giving us purpose in life.’
The concert wasn’t only attended by the 42,000 fans present at Villa Park but also by over three million viewers worldwide who paid to watch the live stream.