Back to the Beginning was a one-off benefit concert by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, held on 5 July 2025 at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham, England, close to where the band formed in 1968. The event served as the final live performance of both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, who sang seated due to advanced Parkinson’s disease.
It marked the first reunion of the original lineup—Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—since 2005. The concert was streamed globally on pay-per-view and drew 45,000 in-person attendees, raising £140 million for Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Cure Parkinson’s.
Background
Black Sabbath, pioneers of heavy metal, were formed in Aston in 1968. Despite Osbourne’s dismissal in 1979, the band occasionally reunited, last performing with the original lineup at Ozzfest 2005. Their previous farewell was The End Tour in 2017.
Osbourne revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2019, followed by severe health setbacks. In February 2025, Sharon Osbourne announced a final Sabbath charity concert in Aston. The name “Back to the Beginning” symbolized a return to their birthplace.
In the lead-up, the band members were made Freemen of Birmingham, a mural was unveiled near New Street station, and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery opened the exhibition Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero.
Production
The event was directed by Tom Morello, who compared its scale to the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Live Nation produced the show, while Kiswe and Mercury Studios handled broadcasting.
Black Sabbath began rehearsals a month before the show. A revolving stage was used to enable quick transitions between supporting acts.
The event also featured in the documentary Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now (Paramount+) and Osbourne’s memoir Last Rites.
Concert
The ten-hour show began at 13:00 BST, hosted by Jason Momoa, with preshow music from Sid Wilson of Slipknot.
Fourteen supporting acts, including Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Tool, Pantera, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and two all-star supergroups, performed mixes of Sabbath songs, solo material, and covers. Notable collaborations included Yungblud’s acclaimed version of “Changes”, tributes by Jack Black and Fred Durst, and a mass drummer “drum-off”.
Osbourne performed solo classics before reuniting with Black Sabbath for a four-song finale: War Pigs, N.I.B., Iron Man, and Paranoid.
Seventeen days later, Osbourne died aged 76, making the show his final appearance.
Reception
Critics praised the historic scale and emotion of the event. The Independent and Rolling Stone both awarded five stars, while The Guardian highlighted standout sets by Sabbath, Metallica, Gojira, and Yungblud.
Some critics noted limited female representation and absent subgenres, while David Draiman’s appearance drew boos over political controversy. Despite these debates, the show was hailed as a landmark in metal history.
Financial and Cultural Impact
- Tickets sold out in 16 minutes, with 150,000 queued online.
- The livestream peaked at 5.8 million concurrent streams.
- The West Midlands gained an estimated £20 million tourism boost.
- All £140 million raised went to charity.
Releases
- Film: Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow (theatrical, 2026; DVD/Blu-ray later that year).
- Audio: Yungblud’s live cover of Changes released 18 July 2025 as a charity single.
