BIRMINGHAM, July 6, 2025 — Villa Park erupted in a historic heavy‑metal celebration this weekend as Birmingham’s own Black Sabbath returned home with a spectacular “super weekend” festival – headlined by Metallica, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, and a bittersweet final farewell from Ozzy Osbourne.
Dubbed Back to the Beginning, the charity concert on July 5 brought together the original Black Sabbath lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—for their first full performance in two decades . Ozzy, now battling advanced Parkinson’s and relying on a throne-shaped stage seat, still commanded the stage with stirring renditions of “Crazy Train” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home” .
After his solo set, the four legends reunited for a four-track Sabbath encore, tearing through “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” and “N.I.B.” — a final curtain in Birmingham’s own spiritual home of heavy metal . The emotionally charged finale ended with dazzling fireworks and heartfelt ovations from the sellout crowd of about 40,000 fans and some 5.8 million tuning in on livestream .
But Sabbath wasn’t alone. A constellation of rock royalty lit up the stage throughout the 9‑to‑10‑hour event, including Metallica, whose frontman James Hetfield later thanked Sabbath for giving them “a purpose in life” ; Steven Tyler, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, and Halestorm also delivered tribute covers, spearheaded by musical director Tom Morello .
Organised as a benefit concert, the show raised a staggering £140 million for Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice . Beyond charity, it showcased Birmingham’s enduring cultural legacy, celebrated by murals and exhibitions around the city in tribute to Sabbath’s roots .