Back to the Beginning
Final live performances of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne.
Back to the Beginning was a charity concert staged by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, featuring several additional acts. The event was held on 5 July 2025 at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham, England, close to the area where the band first formed in 1968. The show marked the final live performances of both Black Sabbath and their lead singer Ozzy Osbourne as a solo artist. It also represented the first time the original lineup—Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—had played together live since 2005. Due to advanced Parkinson's disease, Osbourne could no longer walk and performed seated on a throne. He died seventeen days after the concert, at the age of 76.
The concert was streamed worldwide via pay-per-view with a broadcast delay. Supporting acts included two supergroups that served as the house band. The event raised £140 million (around $190 million USD), making it the third highest-grossing benefit concert of all time. Proceeds went to Acorns Children's Hospice, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Cure Parkinson's.
Black Sabbath formed in Aston, Birmingham, in 1968 by Butler, Iommi, Osbourne, and Ward, all of whom grew up near each other and Villa Park. The band pioneered heavy metal and sold over 75 million albums. Osbourne was fired in 1979 due to substance abuse and built a successful solo career, occasionally reuniting with the group. The original lineup had last performed together at Ozzfest 2005. The band’s previous final concert was at Genting Arena in 2017 as part of The End Tour, but with Tommy Clufetos replacing Ward on drums.
Osbourne received a Parkinson’s diagnosis in February 2019 and suffered spinal damage from a fall that same year. He rarely performed afterward, but made a surprise appearance with Iommi at the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham. By early 2025, he had lost the ability to walk. The farewell charity concert was announced by his wife Sharon Osbourne on 5 February 2025. The name "Back to the Beginning" refers to the band’s origins in Aston, as Osbourne wanted one final show to "give back to the place where I was born."
One week before the concert, the four original members were made Freemen of the City of Birmingham.
Quick Facts
- Concert Name
- Back to the Beginning
- Artist
- Black Sabbath
- Location
- Aston, Birmingham, England
- Venue
- Villa Park
- Attendance
- 45,000
- Date
- 2025-07-05
- Gross
- £140 million
- Last Tour
- The End Tour / (2016–17)
- This Tour
- Back to the Beginning / (2025)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Black Sabbath were formed in Aston, Birmingham, England, in 1968 by Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward. The band developed a style that came to be known as heavy metal and achieved worldwide success, selling over 75 million albums. Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979 for substance abuse and pursued a fruitful solo career, but occasionally reunited with the group. Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in February 2019, and by early 2025 had lost his ability to walk due to the disease. He sang while seated on a throne at the concert. Seventeen days after the show, Osbourne died at the age of 76.
Reader's Guide
Back to the Beginning stands as the third highest-grossing benefit concert of all time, raising £140 million for children's hospices, a children's hospital, and Parkinson's research. The event marked the final live performances of both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne as a solo artist, and was the first time the original line-up had performed together since 2005. The concert featured fourteen supporting acts, two supergroups serving as house bands, and a drum-off between multiple drummers. Tom Morello served as musical director, aiming to make it the 'greatest heavy metal show ever'. The event was streamed worldwide via pay per view with a broadcast delay. One week before the concert, the four original band members were made Freemen of the City of Birmingham. The concert's name refers to the band's formation in Aston, as Osbourne insisted on staging one final performance to 'give back to the place where I was born'.
Did You Know?
- Ozzy Osbourne sang while seated on a throne due to his advanced Parkinson's disease, which had left him unable to walk.
- Seventeen days after the show, Ozzy Osbourne died at the age of 76.
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