Ozzy Osbourne has announced that the original members of Black Sabbath will perform together for the first time in 20 years.
Osbourne revealed in a post on X that he will reunite with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a final show at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on July 5.
“It’s time for me to go back to the beginning… time to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne said. “I’m so blessed to be able to do it with the help of the people I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever.”
The announcement said Osbourne would play a short set of his own at the multi-artist show before rejoining the band for his “final bow.” Other musicians performing at “Back to the Beginning” include Metallica, Slayer, Lamb of God, Alice in Chains and Anthrax.
“This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever,” the show’s musical director Tom Morello was quoted as saying in the note.
Formed in Birmingham in 1968, Black Sabbath became the most successful metal band of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide, according to Osbourne’s note.
In 2022, he surprised attendees at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a mini-Black Sabbath reunion, rocking out on stage with Iommi.
Osbourne was scheduled to embark on a farewell tour in 2023, but his health forced him to cancel the shows.
“My singing voice is fine. However, after three surgeries, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy and, most recently, advanced cybernetics (HAL) treatments, my body is still physically weak,” he said in a statement at the time.
Osbourne, 76, later told Rolling Stone that he would “die a happy man” if he could perform one more show to show his gratitude to fans from the stage.
His wife, Sharon Osbourne, hinted at the upcoming concert in an interview with Rolling Stone last year, telling the magazine that Osbourne was ready to say goodbye to his fans in his hometown.
Tickets for the concert go on sale February 14, with proceeds going to various charities.