Ozzy Osbourne Announces Retirement, Will Reunite With Black Sabbath For Final Concert

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It’s the end of the tour for Ozzy Osbourne.

After more than 60 years of live performances, the legendary rocker has announced that his next show will be his last.

It’s a bittersweet moment for fans, as the sadness of Osbourne’s retirement is mingled with the excitement of another announcement:

Ozzy Osbourne attends the Ozzy Osbourne Album Special on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard Channel at at SiriusXM Studios on July 29, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Ozzy’s Big Send-Off

For his July farewell show, Ozzy will be joined by the original lineup of Black Sabbath, the band he co-founded back in 1968.

The band will perform as part of the one-day Back to the Beginning festival at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.

The lineup will also include Metallica, Slayer, Lamb of God, Alice in Chains, and Anthrax.

Musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during half-time of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

“It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne said today in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”

“This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever,” the festival’s music director, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, was quoted in the post.

Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony at Alexander Stadium on August 08, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Osbourne previously reunited with Tommy Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for a 2023 tour, but he was forced to cancel the shows due to health issues.

At the time, Ozzy believed that his performing career had come to an end.

“My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak,” he said.

Musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during half-time of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

But in a later interview with Rolling Stone, Osbourne stated that he would “die a happy man” if he could put on one final show for his fans.

In a conversation with BBC News, Ozzy’s wife and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, revealed that her husband is excited for the show. She also confirmed that it will be his very last.

“He’s doing great. He’s doing really great. He’s so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It’s exciting for everyone,” she told the outlet.

“Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop. This is his full stop.”

Tickets for the Back to the Beginning festival go on sale February 14, with the bulk of the proceeds going to charity.

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