Unews World
The original Black Sabbath lineup, featuring Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, will perform at the “Back to the Beginning” concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England.
It will mark the first time in 20 years the group’s original members will play together. The landmark concert will also feature a set from Osbourne in what will be his last show.
“The all-star event will celebrate the true creators of heavy metal and will see @OzzyOsbourne play his own short set before joining with Black Sabbath for his final bow,” the band said in a statement on its Instagram page, which Osbourne also shared on X on Wednesday.
“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. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
Black Sabbath remains one of the pioneering bands in heavy metal, blazing a path for future acts in the genre. The band formed in 1968 and sold more than 75 million albums, according to Black Sabbath’s website. They stayed together until their final release, 1978’s “Never Say Die,” before undergoing several lineup changes over the years.
“Back to the Beginning” will feature an all-star roster of talent, including performances from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, Anthrax and Mastodon.
Other big names slated to appear include Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan and Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jake E. Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (Anthrax), Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Wolfgang Van Halen and Zakk Wylde.
“This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever,” said music director Morello.
Tickets can be purchased beginning Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. GMT, 5 a.m. ET, from Live Nation.
All profits will go to charities Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice, according to a press release from the band.
