A couple of weeks ago, Ozzy Osbourne made a huge announcement: He will reunite with the original Black Sabbath lineup for what will most likely be his final performance. The show is happening in the band's Birmingham hometown this summer, and it will include performances from both Sabbath and solo Ozzy Osbourne. Those sets will headline an absolutely massive metal festival called Back To The Beginning, which will also feature performances from bands like Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, and Gojira, as well as appearances from other hard rock luminaries. Today, the festival gains two huge names, while Osbourne himself is working to temper expectations about what he'll do in that final performance.
As Billboard reports, Ozzy Osbourne clarified what to expect for his performance in a recent appearance on his SiriusXM show Ozzy's Boneyard: "I’m not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath, but I am doing little bits and pieces with them. I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable."
It shouldn't be any surprise that the 76-year-old Ozzy Osbourne isn't able to hold the stage for an entire set. In 2020, Osbourne announced that he's suffering from Parkinson's disease, and he's had a number of health issues in recent years. He retired from touring in 2023. On Ozzy Speaks, Osbourne said, "I am trying to get back on my feet. When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I’m not dead. I’m still actively doing things... I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive."
Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne recently told the BBC that Ozzy is "doing great," and she continued, "Ozzy didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there’s no been no full stop. This is his full stop."
But if you're going to the Back To The Beginning fest, there is a very good chance that you'll get your money's worth, whether or not Ozzy Osbourne can sing more than a few songs. The festival has now added Guns N' Roses, Tool, and Rival Sons. The all-star tribute that Tom Morello is putting together has added appearances from Living Colour's Vernon Reid, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, Ugly Kid Joe's Whitfield Crane, ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, and big-deal producer Andrew Watt. Also, if this matters to you, the show will be "hosted and compered by" Jason Momoa.
